Mysterious Stranger
by Nelowl
Summary: When the team met a mysterious stranger on a planet that is supposed to be uninhabited, can they trust her? Even when she seems to save them from the Wraith. And why is she so keen to have Carson Beckett accompany them to her home planet?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers: **I don't own any of the _Stargate Atlantis_ characters, but I hope I've given them a fair representation in this story.

**Characters: **This will involve all the main characters from _Stargate Atlantis_, but if you read my last fanfic, you'll probably guess that Carson will have quite a major role to play in this.

**Spoilers:** As yet, I'm not sure if there will be any references to actual episodes. If there are, I'll warn you in advance.

_**Enjoy!**_

OoOoO

"And why are we here again?" Rodney McKay asked, as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Rodney," John Sheppard looked back at him with exasperation. "The aim of walking is that you use your feet. You seem to spend more time on your knees."

"It's not my fault that this stupid planet seems to be comprised of mud rather than ground," the scientist complained, trying to rub some of the mud off his pants.

"We are here to determine whether the planet is suitable to use as an evacuation point in the case of emergencies," Teyla reminded him in response to his first question.

"And to avoid having to help put up the decorations for the children's Christmas party," Carson Becket added wryly.

"Ah, right," Rodney responded. "I knew it seemed a good idea at the time."

A grumbling laugh from Ronon came from behind Rodney, and a steadying hand on his back prevented the scientist from falling over again.

"So let's do some exploring," John encouraged. "Before Rodney completely disappears under all that mud. And, Carson," John continued. "Remember where we've parked the puddle jumper. You're its captain for the day."

"Is he always like this when you're exploring planets?" Carson asked Teyla, who was walking beside him.

"Yes," she replied.

"Sometimes he's even worse," Ronon added from his other side.

"Just see what fun you'd have missed if you hadn't joined us, Carson," John said, grinning back at him.

"If you hadn't bullied me into it, you mean," the doctor grumbled.

"'Bullied' is such an ugly word," Sheppard said, still grinning. "I prefer 'actively persuaded'"

"Aye," the doctor retorted. "You 'actively persuaded' me to come by threatening me that I'd need to fly the puddle jumper next time we were under attack."

"You do need more practice, Carson," John said, unrepentant. "And it's much better to get the practice on an easy mission like this one, when we're exploring an uninhabited planet, rather than when we're under attack by the wraith."

"I hate it when he says we're on an easy mission," Rodney piped. "It usually means that all hell is about to break loose."

"Don't be so optimistic, McKay," Ronon said with a grin. "We've not had a good fight in at least a week."

"Barbarian," McKay muttered under his breath.

Teyla shared a grin with Ronon. The big Satedan found it very easy to wind McKay up. And Rodney fell for it every time.

"OK, children," John said, as he led them into a clearing in the woods. "This looks like a good place to set up a camp so that we can explore more of those caves over there."

"Why can't we just set up in the caves themselves?" Rodney asked.

"The planet might be uninhabited," John responded. "But there are wildlife around, and I don't fancy sharing our accommodation with this planet's equivalent of a grumpy grizzly bear, woken up from its hibernation."

Rodney looked around, rather nervously. "Did the MALP establish if there was any dangerous wildlife on this planet?"

"All wildlife can be dangerous," Ronon responded, "if it is not treated with respect. But don't worry McKay, Teyla and I will protect you."

McKay gave him a quelling look.

After they had set up the camp, John contacted Atlantis to let them know that the team had arrived safely, despite Dr Beckett's flying. This earned him a baleful look from the doctor. They then split into two groups so that they could explore the cave system more quickly, with Ronon and Teyla taking one of the passageways, and John, Carson and Rodney the other.

It wasn't long before John wished that he had allocated the teams differently. Rodney's claustrophobia didn't mix very well with cave exploration.

"Do you think that tunnel is safe?" he asked, for about the tenth time.

"No, I think it will collapse at any minute," Sheppard replied sarcastically. "That's why I'm suggesting we take this route."

"Rodney," Carson said in a reasonable tone. "These tunnels give every indication that they are safe. We've seen no evidence of any rockfalls."

"But it always has to start somewhere," Rodney said, refusing to be comforted.

John sighed with exasperation, and then glanced at his watch. It was getting late, so they might as well go back. At least that would stop Rodney's constant stream of fearful events.

Thankfully the journey to the mouth of the cave system didn't take too long. Rodney was first out, gulping in breaths of fresh air. John and Carson exchanged amused expressions.

"There was plenty of air in the caves to breath, Rodney," Carson said, with a grin at John.

"It just didn't feel like it," Rodney retorted. "And the air out here is much fresher. I'm sure that as a doctor you should appreciate the qualities of good, clean air."

Before Carson could think of a suitable reply, Ronon and Teyla appeared.

"Find anything interesting?" John asked, as they started to make their way back to their camp site.

"There is an extensive network of caves," Teyla reported. "They all seem stable and reasonably dry."

"We didn't find any evidence of dangerous wildlife," Ronon reported, with a sideways glance at Rodney.

"Yes," John said. "The only dangerous thing in there was Rodney's claustrophobia."

"It's not a phobia," Rodney said, trying to retain his dignity amidst all the teasing. "It is a perfectly reasonable caution in such a situation."

"Yes, Rodney," Carson said, grinning at John as he did so.

"Hold up a minute!" John said, suddenly, a note of urgency in his voice. They all turned to look at him, concern on their faces. He was looking at the life-signs indicator.

"There is someone at our campsite," he reported. The others looked at the indicator over his shoulder.

"Do you think it's someone from Atlantis come to check up on us?" Carson asked.

"Or a Wraith?" Ronon added, a hiss in his voice.

"I thought this planet was uninhabited," Rodney said, concern on his face.

"Well, now it's been un-uninhabited," John said.

"Is that a word?" Rodney asked Carson.

"It is now," he replied. "But who do you think it is, at the campsite?"

"Well, there is only one way to find out," John said. "Follow me, and be as quiet as possible." The last remark was directed at the two doctors, who were no known for their ability to remain quiet.

With that, he started towards the campsite, moving with stealth and care. The others followed, as quietly as they could.


	2. Stories by the Campfire

As they approached, they saw a woman sitting by a newly created campfire. She seemed to be stirring a pot of stew on the fire. Ronon sniffed the air, and nodded. It smelled good.

The woman was small and, seemingly unarmed. However, John still felt a cautious approach was best. His time in the Pegasus Galaxy had taught him, above all else, that appearances could be deceiving.

The woman looked up, as if sensing something.

"You might as well come and join me by the fire," she said, raising her voice so that it carried easily over the distance between them. "I've more than enough food here for you all."

They exchanged glances. How did she know they were there?

As if reading their thoughts, she continued. "You didn't really expect to creep up on me when you were making all that noise, did you?"

All eyes turned to Rodney. "It wasn't my fault I feel over that root," he said defensively.

"We might as well go out there," John whispered to the others. "She obviously knows we're here. But remain on alert."

They nodded, and then followed John as he stood up and walked towards the campfire, his weapon raised, and ready for use if necessary.

She looked up at John and then at the weapon he carried.

"Nice to meet you too," she said, with more than a touch of irony. John heard someone – probably Carson – choke off a laugh behind him.

"I'm sorry not to be more friendly," he said, trying to gain the moral high ground again. "But I'm not sure that I automatically trust someone who appears out of nowhere and makes herself at home in our camp."

"Even if I did make some food for you?" she asked, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Especially when you make some food for us," he replied. "Something to do with Trojan horses," he continued cryptically. Ronon and Teyla exchanged very confused glances. The woman seemed to notice it.

"Does he normally make more sense than this?" she asked Teyla.

Ever the diplomat, Teyla replied. "He always makes sense, in his own way."

John decided it was time to try to take control of the conversation. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I thought I was stirring this stew," the woman replied.

"Very funny," John said, not smiling. "How did you get here?"

"Did you come through the Stargate?" Rodney asked, causing John to sigh with frustration. He didn't want to feed answers to the stranger.

"Is there another way to get here?" she asked.

"You could have come on a ship?" Rodney responded.

"Like that one you're hiding over there?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the cloaked puddle jumper.

"How did you find that?" John asked.

"It was a bit difficult to miss, when you all but trip over it," she responded.

"Look," she continued. "I understand your caution. But this stew is really very good, even if I do say so myself, and it would be a shame to waste it. Why don't you join me?"

Ronon and Rodney looked keen, but the others held back.

"If I wanted to kill you," she pointed out. "You would all be dead by now. I found you before you found me."

"I think you're too subtle for the direct approach, lass," Carson said gently.

"Why, thank you," she responded. "That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day." She gave him a big smile, and Carson found himself smiling back, despite himself.

Before John could respond further, the noise of the Stargate activating in the distance caught all their attention. Two Wraith Darts appeared through it and sped through the darkening sky.

John turned to the woman, his suspicions reignited. "Did you have anything to do with this?" he demanded.

"Of course not," she said scornfully. "But you'd better run, they are heading this way."

"What about you?" Carson added, not wanting to leave her on her own.

"I've a better chance of evading them on my own," she said, confidently.

"Oh, no, you don't," John said, grabbing her arm and dragging her along with them. "If we leave you behind, you might pass some information onto the Wrath."

"Is that before or after they feed on me?" she asked pointedly.

John didn't give her a chance to reply. Keeping an iron grip on her arm, he dragged her towards the Puddle Jumper. If she was involved in this, he wanted her close, so he knew what she was up to.

As the group neared the Puddle Jumper, the Wraith Darts swooped overhead. As they reached the muddy area, Rodney fell again, cannoning into Carson. They both fell heavily. Ronon and John went back to help them to their feet. Just at that moment, a culling beam swept the ground behind them, heading towards them. Ronon managed to drag Rodney towards the Puddle Jumper, where Teyla was waiting.

John, encumbered by the woman, managed to get Carson to his feet, and the three of them started to run towards the Puddle Jumper, the doctor limping slightly on a twisted ankle. It was a case of trying to outrun the beam, and it was going to be touch and go who would win the race.

Carson stumbled again, just as the beam reached them. The woman wrenched herself out of John's grasp, ran back and helped Carson to his feet. John turned quickly, ready to rush forward to help them, but as he watched, they seemed to disappear into the culling beam.


	3. What Happened?

The beam continued towards Sheppard, who dived into the mud to avoid it. He was winded by the fall, and it took him a few moments to recover. Taking deep breaths, he scrambled to his feet, and searched the sky for the Darts. They were nowhere in sight. He ran to the Puddle Jumper.

"Where are the Darts?" he called as he ran in.

"They've gone," Rodney said, a puzzled tone to his voice. "They seemed to just vanish."

"Well find them!" John said, urgently. "They've got Carson."

"Colonel," Teyla's soft voice reached him from the entrance to the Puddle Jumper. He looked round.

"What?" he asked, impatience in his voice.

"It's Carson," she said. "He's still here."

"What," he repeated, this time in amazement. He ran over to the door just in time to see the doctor getting, rather unsteadily, to his feet. He and Ronon ran over to help the shaken doctor.

"Carson," John said in relief. He put a hand on his shoulder, as if to make sure he was really there. "I thought the Dart had got you."

"So did I, lad," Carson replied, his voice still shaky. "It felt very odd. The beam came right over us but it didn't seem to actually touch us."

His words reminded them of the woman they had encountered. She was lying, unconscious, several yards away. Carson hobbled over to her, his medical training immediately kicking in.

"She's unconscious, but her pulse and breathing seem more or less normal. Let's get her back to Atlantis so I can check her over properly."

Ronon picked her up easily. She seemed almost like a child in his arms. He carried her back to the Puddle Jumper and gently laid her down.

John still seemed uneasy by her presence. "Can't you check her over here, Carson," he said.

"I can only do a rudimentary check here," he replied. "I'd much rather take her back to the Infirmary and check her over there. She's not showing any signs of regaining consciousness, and that is worrying me."

"We still don't know who she is," John persisted. "This could have been a set up to get a spy into Atlantis."

"Aye," the doctor agreed. "It could. But all I know is that she saved my life. I don't know what she did, but she protected me. And I'm not about to leave her lying here, unconscious, and vulnerable to attack by goodness knows what."

John looked round at the others, trying to gauge their feelings. "Carson is right," Teyla said softly. "We can't leave her here. We can keep her guarded at Atlantis. She doesn't even have to know where she is."

"Okay," John agreed, after a moment's thought. "But remember, she might not be a friend. So treat her with caution." The others nodded. He then moved forward to the controls. "Let's go home."

They were greeted by a concerned looking Elizabeth as they came out of the Puddle Jumper. A team of medics met them there, and under Carson's supervision moved the woman onto a stretcher.

"Do you know anything about her?" she asked John.

"We didn't have enough time to get to the social niceties," John responded. "One minute we were asking her why she had commandeered our campfire and the next we were running away from Darts."

"Did she save you from the Darts?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't really know," John admitted, rubbing his hand through his hair. "I'm sure that she and Carson were caught up in a culling beam, and then it was heading towards me. But neither she nor Carson was taken up and the Darts just disappeared off our sensors. It all seems a little crazy, and I can't help that she was somehow involved in that craziness."

Elizabeth sighed deeply. "Put a close guard on her," she ordered. John nodded his agreement. "And let me know as soon as she wakes up. She has some questions to answer."

John followed the stretcher carrying the stranger to the Infirmary. Carson was hobbling along on his sprained ankle, but seemingly oblivious to it. As soon as they put the woman's stretcher down, he was fussing round her, hooking her up to machines and taking blood.

John and the others all went through their normal post-mission check-ups, but John made sure that his eyes were always on the woman. Carson was eventually persuaded to allow his ankle to be looked at, but as soon as it was bandaged up, he was back with his patient checking on readings and fussing over her.

John approached him. "What's the verdict, Doc?" he asked.

"I cannae find anything physically wrong wi' her," the doctor replied, his accent more pronounced in his anxiety. "It's as if she's exhausted. All the tests are consistent wi' someone who's run three marathons in a row."

John looked down at the woman on the bed. She did look exhausted. "She seemed fine at the camp," he said, a puzzled look on her face.

"Aye," the doctor agreed. "She seemed full of energy and life then. But whatever happened, seemed to drain all that energy from."

"Do you think it was the culling beam?" John asked.

"I dinnae ken," the doctor responded.

John looked at him, confused.

"Sorry," Carson repeated. "I just don't know, Colonel."

"Doctor," one of the nurses called out to Carson. "She seems to be waking up."

John and Carson looked at each other. Maybe now they would get some questions to all those questions.


	4. Question Time

"Glad you're back with us, lass," Carson said as they approached the woman. "How do you feel?"

"Tired," she replied, yawning and stretching like a cat.

"At least you don't appear to have sustained any physical damage, if you can stretch like that," Carson said, smiling at his patient.

"I'm fine, Dr Beckett," she replied. "Honestly, I'm just tired."

John shot Carson an anxious glance.

"And how did you know his name was Dr Beckett?" he asked, suspiciously.

"It might have something to do with the name tag he's wearing," the woman said, a hint of a smile on her lips. Her eyes went to the name tag Carson was wearing on his labcoat. He had put it on after a recent influx of new staff on the Daedalus had found it difficult to remember who everyone was.

Carson tried, unsuccessfully, to hide his laugh.

"Well," said John, trying to recover some ground. "At least we know you can read."

He was saved by the arrival of Elizabeth, who had been notified of their new patients awakening.

"Hello," she said, softly. "I'm Dr Elizabeth Weir." She held out her hand, and the woman took it.

"I'm Ria Talon," the other woman replied.

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," John added. "And you've already worked out who Dr Beckett is."

"The others who were with you," Ria said. "Are they okay?"

"Yes, lass," Carson responded. "They're all fine. Thanks to you."

"Just what did you do?" John asked. "I would bet my life on the fact that you were caught in the culling beam."

"I hope you're not a betting man, Colonel," Ria responded, grinning. "Because the evidence suggests otherwise."

"We thank you for helping to save the team," Elizabeth interjected, a pointed look at John accompanying her remark. "It is just that we are cautious about strangers we meet. We've had a number of bad experiences."

"I can understand that, Dr Weir," Ria replied. "I'm an explorer. Much like you are, I imagine. I've learned caution too."

"It was amazing," Rodney's voice could be heard coming from the corridor. "The beam seemed to go right over them, but didn't seem to touch them."

He walked into the room, with Dr Zelenka with him. "Oh, you're awake," he said, looking at Ria.

"And these are Doctors Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka," Dr Weir added, trying to hide her amusement.

"I was just wondering," Rodney missed out completely on the social niceties and headed straight for the question. "Are you an Ancient or are you Ascended. Because if you are, you should watch out for Colonel Sheppard. He has a thing for Ancient or Ascended woman."

Ria looked at him, amusement on her face. "Dr McKay, are you accusing me of looking old?"

Rodney looked startled for a moment. Ria glanced at Carson and exchanged an amused glance.

"Of course not," Rodney said. "You don't look a day over . . . . ." Rodney hesitated. He knew how sensitive women could be about their age, and he didn't want to put his foot in it any further.

Ria didn't help. She just looked at him, a questioning look on her face. "A day over what, Dr McKay? Now think very carefully about this, because I could get offended."

Rodney looked to John for help, who just held out his hands in submission. "You got yourself into this one, Rodney," he said, grinning.

Before Rodney could think of a face-saving reply, he was saved by the arrival of Ronon and Teyla, and the round of introductions that ensued.

"Now where were we?" John said slyly. "Ah, yes, Rodney was about to tell us how old he thought Ria was."

"Thank you very much," Rodney responded, and everyone laughed, even Ria. She decided to take pity on the scientist.

"Don't worry, Dr McKay, I won't force you for an answer. After all, if you got it right, I'd have to kill you for revealing classified information."

Rodney laughed, not sure whether to be relieved or frightened. There was something about this woman that made him think that she could kill him, if she wanted to.

As the laughter died, Ria started yawning again. Carson immediately switched to doctor-mode.

"All right, everyone," he said, with authority. "My patient is tired, and I'm going to ask you all to leave." John started to argue, but Carson held up his hand. "I know you have questions, Colonel, but they will have to wait."

John was still grumbling as he left.

Ria put out her hand to stop Carson for leaving. "Thank you, doctor," she said softly.

"What for?" he asked, slightly confused.

"For understanding."

He smiled in return. "I should be the one thanking you, lass," he replied. "You saved my life back there. Look," he added as she started to interrupt. "I don't know what you did, and I don't really want to know. I'm just grateful that you did it."

He smiled down at her, and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "And now you need to get some sleep, and don't worry, I won't let anyone bother you until you're ready to face them."

"My Knight Protector," she said, with a mischievous grin.

Carson looked embarrassed. "Ach, away wi' ye," he said. But there was a gentle smile on his face as he went back to his office.


	5. Now what do we do with her?

The next time Ria woke up, Carson was checking the equipment at the side of her bed.

"How do I look, Doc?" she asked, a smile in her voice.

He turned to face her, smiling in return. "You look pretty good, considering you've been sleeping for the last two days."

"Two days!" she exclaimed, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "I guess I must've needed it."

"Aye," he replied. "I think you could say that. But otherwise, you seem in fine fettle."

"I take it, that means I'm well?" she asked, slightly bemused by the phrase.

"Aye, lass, you're very well. Sorry to confuse ye."

"No problem," she replied. "And talking of confused, what did Dr McKay mean about me being "Ancient or Ascended"?"

"Half of what Rodney says doesn't make sense," Carson said, a smile playing on his lips. "So I wouldn't mind him, and his weird notions."

"Dr Beckett, are you evading my question?" she asked, half teasing.

"Please don't call me 'Dr Beckett' like that. You could give a man a heart attack. It reminded me of the matron in my first hospital post. A right fiercesome woman, she was."

"Matron?" Ria asked, allowing herself to be distracted.

"Yes, a sort of head nurse. But they used to run the hospitals wi' a rod of iron. I was right scared of her."

Before Ria could ask any more questions, Carson's earpiece burst into life.

"Carson," Elizabeth Weir's voice sounded in his ear. "Please could you join us for a discussion on your newest patient?"

"On my way, Elizabeth," he responded.

"So they want to grill you about me?" Ria said, a grin on her face.

"Don't worry," Carson said, putting a reassuring hand on her arm. "You been the best behaved patient I've had all year. So I won't have a bad word to say about you."

OoOoO

When Carson walked into the conference room, all eyes turned towards him.

"How is she Carson?" Elizabeth asked, even before he had a chance to sit down.

"Physically, she's fine," Carson said.

"Not too fine?" John asked, thinking of Chaya.

"No, lad," Carson said with a smile. "She's not perfect, like your lady-friend Chaya. But I'd say she is in perfect health given her age and lifestyle."

"So what do we do with her?" McKay asked, cutting to the chase.

"Isn't that for her to decide," Carson said, giving him an earnest look.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked, looking for clarification.

"Well," Carson started slowly, weighing up his words. "She came to us. She obviously had a reason for approaching us. I don't think it is up to us to 'do anything with her'. She is a free person. She should have the choice of what she wants to do next."

"What if she's a security threat?" John asked. "She could have called the Wraith to come and attack us."

"They very nearly got her too," Teyla reminded him.

"Could she have some kind of tracking device?" Ronon asked.

"There is no evidence of one," Carson assured him. "The scans we did of her would have shown up any subcutaneous device, such as the one you were fitted with. And I checked her clothes and belongings and there was nothing in them."

"You undressed her!" Rodney exclaimed.

"Well," Carson said, a smile hovering round his lips, "it's not normal practice to leave our patients wearing the outdoor clothes when they are in the Infirmary. Surely, with your experience, Rodney, you should know that."

"But she's a woman," Rodney continued. "And you're a . . ."

"Doctor," Carson interjected. "And she is my patient."

Then a sudden thought hit Rodney. "So when I'm brought in unconscious, do you undress me too?"

"No, Rodney," Carson replied, a full-blown smile on his face. "I leave that pleasure to one of the nurses – the female nurses."

Ronon let out a bark of laughter from the other side of the table. John was grinning openly and both Elizabeth and Teyla were trying not to show their amusement too much.

"That's right," Rodney said, indignantly. "Make fun of the afflicted."

Elizabeth decided it was time to get the meeting back on track.

"So Carson, what are your recommendations?" she asked her CMO.

"I think we should speak to her," he replied earnestly. "Ask her why she sought us out, and take it from there."

"How soon will she be fit to be questi . . . asked about her plans?" John asked, quickly revising his question when Carson shot him a sharp look.

"I would think that she would be well enough tomorrow. I could bring her here in a wheelchair. But I reserve the right to terminate the interview at any time if I feel she is too tired." The last remark was directed at John.

"Noted," he said, nodding at the doctor.

"Good," Elizabeth said. "Until tomorrow then. And hopefully we will manage to clear a few things up."


	6. Colonel Phobia

The next morning, Carson appeared at Ria's bedside with a wheelchair.

"Is that for me?" she asked the doctor, her expression showing her dislike of the idea.

When he nodded, she continued. "I don't know how to break this to you Dr Beckett, but I mastered the art of vertical perambulation at a very young age."

"I don't doubt that for a minute," the doctor replied, an amused smile on his face. "And I suspect you caused your mother a few extra premature grey hairs in the process."

"You've not been talking to her?" Ria replied, a look of mock horror on her face.

"No, lass," Carson reassured her. "You know that's not possible. Since I don't have any personal details about you."

"You undressed me," she said, a mischievous grin on her face. "That's fairly personal."

The doctor blushed, making her grin more. "You've not been talking to Rodney again, have you?" he asked.

"I do believe we did have a conversation or two yesterday," Ria replied, still grinning.

"So the pair of you are ganging up on me now?" Carson said, an amused smile on his face.

"No fear," Ria added. "I've too much sense to try and alienate my doctor. But you know something," she said grinning at Carson. "I do think Rodney is genuinely worried about the thought of the nurses undressing him, and then discussing his 'attributes'."

"Thank you for that nugget of information," Carson said, giving her a grateful smile. "It might just come in useful the next time Rodney wants me to test out another bit of ancient technology he's found."

"Why does he want you to test it out?" Ria asked, a slightly puzzled look on her face.

Carson realised he had already given too much away. "Och," he replied. "You know what Rodney's like. He always asks you to do the daftest things," he said evasively.

"You still don't trust me," Ria said quietly, looking at Carson with hurt in her eyes.

"It's no a matter of trust, lass. Not of you personally," he said gently, putting his hand on her arm. "We've had our fingers burnt too often in the past, and we've grown wary."

Ria put her hand over his, and squeezed his hand gently. "I promise you this Carson," she said, a serious expression in her eyes. "I will never do anything to deliberately hurt or harm you." He looked into her eyes, trying to read her expression. Instead he felt she was the one reaching into his soul.

Eventually, he broke eye contact, and looked down at their joined hands. "Aye, lass, I believe you," he said softly. "But now I need to get you to the conference room before they send out a search party for us."

OoOoO

There was a certain tension in the room as Carson wheeled Ria in. Her eyes circled the room, resting on each person. Before anyone could say anything, Ria got to her feet and addressed them. "Look," she said, a note of authority in her voice. "I haven't come here to cause tension amongst you. I come as a friend, not to trick you or to gain information from you, but to share knowledge with you, and I hope, friendship." Her green eyes again circled the room, resting firstly on John and then on Elizabeth. "You have differing views on me," she said softly. "But don't let that become a cause of dispute between you. I will abide by any restrictions you place on me, as long as you let me go free, when I ask you to."

"You talk about sharing knowledge," John said. "What information can you give us?" Elizabeth shot him a sharp look. His cloaked hostility towards Ria confused her. It was not like John to react like this.

"Stargate addresses," came the prompt reply. "As I said before, I'm an explorer. Over the years, I've visited many planets, and travelled through many Stargates. I can add to your knowledge of them."

"And what do you want in return?" he asked.

"To share your journey for a while," she replied simply. "I travel alone, and it can be lonely. I miss human contact. All I ask is to spend a little time with you, and to enjoy your company."

She paused for a moment, then continued. "Why don't you trust me Colonel Sheppard?" she asked directly.

Elizabeth looked at Carson, her eyebrows raised. Carson shrugged in response. This was a side of Ria he hadn't seen before. All frivolity had gone. The seriousness of her tone was added to by the maturity and insightfulness of what she was saying. The playful woman who had teased him earlier had been replaced by a woman of quiet authority.

"It's not that I don't trust you," John responded.

"Then you hide your trust well, Colonel," Ria interrupted.

"We've had a number of bad experiences, and I'm being cautious," John said, trying not to sound churlish.

"I can accept caution, Colonel," Ria said. "It has kept me alive in many situations. Let's say that we agree to be cautious about each other. Will you let me join you for a while?"

Everyone else, even Rodney, had kept quiet during this exchange. However, enforced silence proved too much for the scientist. "Do you know where we could get ZPMs?" he asked eagerly. "Things about this long, cylindrical, flashes," he continued.

"Yes, Rodney," Ria replied. "I know what you're talking about."

"That makes a change," Ronon said under his breath.

"I believe one of the planets I visited had such a device. I could take you there, if you'd like."

"Very convenient," Sheppard interrupted. Elizabeth turned and looked at him. It was not like John to be this churlish with someone who was a potential ally. He was treating Ria with the caution, verging on mistrust, that he might extend to Kolya or Cowen.

Ria turned on John. "If you wish, Colonel, I can leave now," she said. "I have learned very little of your people, so I can't be perceived as a threat. So I'll go, if that's what you want, and leave you to brood in peace." With that she left the room.

"Colonel," Carson said, looking at John with hurt in his eyes. "There was no need to be so harsh on the lass. All she has done is offered to help us. I cannae see why you're so upset by her being here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go and check on my patient. I don't like when my patients are upset unnecessarily." He followed Ria out of the room.

All eyes turned to John. "What?" he said, defensively.

"If anyone is acting suspiciously, at the moment, Colonel, it's you," Rodney said pointedly.

"She has offered to share information with us," Teyla said, in a reasonable tone. "And all she asks is for companionship in her travels."

"I know, I know," John said, exasperated with himself as much as anything else. "I can't explain my reaction to her. It's like a phobia, it's irrational, but there is something about her that creeps me out."

"Maybe it's because she's immune to your charms, Colonel," Rodney said, smirking.

"I'm not that shallow, Rodney," John said.

"I think we should take her up on her offer. If she can find us another ZPM, then I think it's worth any risk that Colonel Phobia here might perceive."

"I agree," Elizabeth said, shooting a glance at John. "I respect your caution, Colonel, but I think Rodney's right. But please keep a close eye on her at all times."


	7. The Dig

_Sorry for the delay. Real life has a habit of intervening. I'm not sure how quickly I'll be able to update this, as I'm due to have an operation on my right wrist tomorrow (I was due to have this done on Monday but it was cancelled at the last minute – so I'm not banking on it this time round). I'll add to the story as I can, though._

OoOoO

She found him in the gym, taking out his frustrations on a poor Marine, newly arrived at Atlantis. She stood for a moment watching. To her expert eye, it was obvious that the Colonel was emotionally upset. His movements were jerkier than usual, and there were a couple of times that he only narrowly avoided being beaten by his much less experienced opponent.

They finished, with a polite bow to each other. The Marine then quickly grabbed his gym bag and almost ran out of the room.

"Was I that bad?" John asked Teyla.

"You were not as good as you usually are," she replied honestly. "What is wrong, John?" she asked gently.

He didn't answer for a moment, continuing to towel the sweat off his body. He then went over to the bench and sat down. Teyla sat beside him, patiently waiting for an answer.

"I don't know," he said eventually. "I just don't understand the way I feel about her."

"Certainly, your behaviour is not normal for you," Teyla said.

"Maybe I've been spending too much time with Rodney," John joked.

Teyla smiled politely at the jibe. "Why do you not trust her?" Teyla asked, not being distracted by John's humour.

"It's not that I don't trust her. I do, I think. There is just something about her, something that I find creepy. I want to like her. Hell, Carson liked her straight away," he said, smiling.

Teyla smiled in response. "Carson likes everyone straight away," she replied.

"Yes," John agreed. "He tends to see the best in people." He sighed. "It's a strange feeling. It's like an instinct, that I can't control. But I'm not going to let it interfere with the mission." He sounded as if he were trying to convince himself, as well as Teyla.

"I know you will not, John," she said gently. "But remember, Ria is a person too. She knows how you feel about her. You can see it in her eyes. Be as gentle with her as you can."

"I'll try," he responded.

OoOoO

He remembered his promise two days later as he stood at the Stargate, impatiently waiting for Ria to appear. He wanted to get this mission over and done with, and to get the ZPM. The intervening two days had done little for his discomfort in the presence of the woman. Carson had been taking her round the city, showing her all its wonders and introducing her to people. John had watched silently as she had charmed person after person. She always left them with a smile on their face, and a look of joy in their eyes. But when she left him, all he felt was relief.

She and her shadow, Carson, appeared suddenly, taking quietly together as they approached.

"Carson," John said, "are you joining us?"

"Aye," the doctor replied. "I didn't want to risk tiring this poor lass out, so I decided to come along and keep an eye on her."

John looked at Rodney, his eyebrows raised. However, he got very little reaction from the scientist. John had the feeling that all the others knew that Carson was joining them. He had been the only one who didn't know.

"Was it to protect Ria from me?" he asked himself, then shaking his head to get rid of the paranoia that seemed to be ever present when Ria was there.

"OK, everyone," he said, raising his voice. "Let's go."

OoOoO

The land through the Stargate was just as Ria had described. It was a harsh, desert land, with a relentless sun beating down, hitting you with waves of dry heat.

They all quickly put on the sunglasses they had brought with them. John could feel the sweat already beginning to pool on his back. He glanced over at Carson, who was wiping his forehead. Only Ronon seemed untouched by the heat. He seemed to dismiss its effects almost contemptuously.

Rodney looked around, his face already turning pink. "OK," he said. "There is a strong power reading from over there," he said pointing to an overhang of rocks. "Just where you said it would be," he said, smiling at Ria.

"Did you doubt me, Dr McKay?" Ria asked, a smile softening her words from a challenge.

"Of course not," Rodney said quickly. "Well, no more than I doubt everyone."

"Everyone but himself, that is," Carson said, with a grin on his face.

"Well, we can't all be a genius," Rodney retorted.

John's eyebrows shot up again, and he and Carson exchanged amused smiles. Teyla just shook her head gently.

"Well," John said. "It looks like we are headed over there."

With those words, he started towards to the overhang of rocks. The others trailed behind him. Rodney was next, followed by Teyla, then Carson and Ria. Ronon took the rear. Although the planet was uninhabited, and, according to Ria, hadn't been so for many years, the Runner always remained vigilant. Too many years on the run, had taught him to be wary of everything, even his own shadow at times.

It took longer than John expected to reach the overhang. In a barren landscape, distances can be deceptive, and in the heat, it wasn't possible to move quickly. By the time they got there, they all looked bedraggled. Well, except for Teyla and Ria. They both looked surprisingly unaffected by the heat.

"How do you manage it?" he asked, turning to the women. "We look as if we've been hosed down with sweat, and you two are as cool as anything."

"A woman has to have her secrets," Teyla responded, with a conspiratorial grin at Ria.

"And it's fun to drive the men mad with them," Ria added. "You did ask," she reminded John as he shook his head.

"Will I never learn?" he said, almost to himself.

"Probably not," Rodney responded, rather too quickly for John's liking.

"Okay," he said, deciding it was time to change the subject. "What now?" He looked at Rodney first of all. But he just shrugged, and turned towards Ria.

"Now, we dig," she said, almost apologetically. "From what I remember, the power source was buried to protect it. The people who used to live here buried many things to protect them from the sun's rays."

"Now, Carson," John said. "Aren't you glad you came?"

"'Glad' isn't the first word that springs to mind," the doctor replied.

"But just think what we can do with another ZPM," Rodney said, his enthusiasm for the power source overcoming his dislike of physical labour.

"Stop talking, and start digging," Ronon ordered in his usual forthright way.

"You heard the man," John replied. "Let's dig."

OoOoO

Carson forced them to stop every so often, and drink lots of water. The progress was slower than any of them wanted, but the breaks were necessary if they wanted to finish the job. The natives of the planet obviously believed in burying things thoroughly. They had dug through layers of sand, covering layers of rocks, which had been carefully placed to give protection.

Eventually, just at the point where exhaustion was setting in, they found it. It was in a large wooden box, with an elaborate latch on it. Ronon and John lifted it up and laid it on the sand at Rodney's feet.

The scientist just stood there for a moment, looking at the box.

"Come on, Rodney," John said. "You're meant to open it, not say a prayer over it!"

"I was just trying to work out how to open it," Rodney said, defensively. "It looks like an extremely complex locking mechanism. And after some of our experiences before, in setting off traps, I wanted to be careful."

"Caution is sensible, Rodney," Ria said. "But in this case it is unnecessary. The lock looks complex, but it is really very simple. See!" With that, she reached over and released the lock. They all looked into the box and saw a treasure more valuable to them than gold – a power source.

"Is it safe to transport it in this?" Rodney asked Ria.

She nodded. "It is specially designed to protect it," she said. "Even if Ronon decided to through it through the Stargate it would still be okay." The Satedan grinned at her. He rather liked that idea.

"Don't put any ideas into Conan's head," Rodney said. "He might just do it, to scare the hell out of me."

Ronon's grin grew wider.

"OK, children," John said, deciding it was time to bring some order to the proceedings. "Let's head back."

They had gone about 300 yards when Rodney let out an exclamation of annoyance.

"What's wrong now, Rodney?" Carson asked.

"I've left my sunglasses behind," the scientist responded.

"I'll get them," Carson offered, as Rodney's hands were full of the ZPM.

Carson headed back to the overhang, while the others looked off into the distance, wishing for the miles between them and the Stargate to be miraculously covered. They were tired, and hot and just wanted to get home.

Suddenly, Ronon's shout pierced the air. "Carson!"

The others turned in horror, just in time to see the rock overhanging the spot where they had been digging start to crumble. The doctor looked up, a petrified look on his face, as tons of rocks started to fall down on top of him.


	8. Rock Fall

The team watched in horror as rocks started to batter the doctor. He managed to withstand them for a short while, then one large boulder caught him on the shoulder, forcing him to his knees. Another boulder struck a glancing blow to his head. As they watched, they saw Carson, unconscious and unprotected, being covered by rocks of varying sizes.

Then, suddenly, without any reason, the rocks stopped falling. It was as if a protective barrier had formed over the doctor. John looked at Rodney, hoping the scientist could come up with some sort of explanation for what had happened. However, the bewildered look on his face told John that Rodney was just as confused as he was.

It was Teyla who first realised something of what was going on. She was standing next to Ria and noticed a certain tension in the other woman's body. She reached her hand out to touch Ría's arm, and then drew her hand back quickly. It was almost as if Ria had a force field round her body.

"Colonel!" Teyla cried out.

John turned round and looked at Ria. She was concentrating ferociously as she stared at the doctor. John wasn't sure what she was doing, but he knew for certain that she was the one protecting Carson.

"Ronon!" John said, and then nodded towards Carson's buried body. The Satedan nodded in response and the two men ran forward towards the doctor. When they got there, John found it impossible not to look at eerie sight of rocks suspended in midair. There was no obvious reason for the rocks to just hang there. And for all John knew, it was just the strength of mind of a fragile looking woman that was keeping them there.

He and Ronon worked quickly to remove the rocks from on top of Carson. His body looked battered and bruised and bloody. His jacket had been ripped at the shoulder and blood was oozing out of the wound. There was another a bleeding wound on his head. And those were only the injuries they could see. It was impossible to tell just how badly injured he was, but John was also concerned about Ria, almost against his will. This strained look on her face, and the tension in her body had made him realise that whatever it was that she was doing, it was putting a lot of strain on her.

Between them, John and Ronon gently lifted the doctor away from the rocks. He moaned slightly as they moved him but didn't fully regained consciousness. They carried the doctor back to the others. As they laid him down on the ground, the doctor's eyes opened, a vivid blue.

"Take it easy, Doc," John said, but a gentle hand on his good shoulder. "You just had half a ton of rocks fall on you."

Carson looked up at him. The memory of what had happened could be seen in his eyes.

"But how . . . ?" He started to ask, then he caught sight of Ria. There was sweat running down her face and the veins in her neck were standing out with the strain. The doctor struggled to his feet, swaying slightly as he did so. John put out a steadying hand, and Rodney to call of his arm. Once Carson had got his balance, he walked the few paces to where Ria was standing. His face held an anxious expression as he looked down at the motionless woman be before him.

"I try to tell her you were all right," Teyla said. "But she would not listen, or could not."

Carson put a gentle hand to her face. "Ria, love," he said softly. "I'm okay. You can let go now, love."

Her eyes moved their focus from the rock fall to Carson's face. Her eyes looked deeply to his, as if she were looking into his soul. Once she was sure he was telling her the truth, it was as if a light went out, and her body sagged into the waiting arms of Ronon. Carson's first response was to reach out to her, his healing instincts to the fore. But his own battered body give out on him, and he too collapsed.

John's anxious eyes met Teyla's. She shook her head as uncertain about what had happened as he was.

"What the hell just happened?" Rodney's voice echoed John's thoughts.

"You're the one that claims to be a genius," John said. "But I don't know that even you can explain this one."

"Explanations can wait," Ronon said brusquely. "We need to get them back to Atlantis."

"For once, Mr Obvious is right," Rodney said. "Maybe once were there, we can come up with a rational explanation of what happened."

John intercepted a glance between Teyla and Ronon. He sensed they knew something, or suspected something, but there wasn't time to explore it at that moment.

"Ronon, are you okay with Ria?" The big man nodded.

"Rodney," John continued. "You help me it with Carson, and Teyla, keep an eye out for anything unusual."

The journey back to the Stargate was a tense one. With their double burden, it took them much longer than the outward journey. And John was also anxious about his two injured colleagues. Ria lay in Ronon's arms, as if dead. Only her shallow breathing told him otherwise. Carson slipped in and out of consciousness, moaning in pain from time to time. In addition to his more obvious injuries, John was concerned that there might also be internal ones. He knew that if that was the case, time was of the essence.

It was with a sense of relief that he greeted the site of the Stargate. Teyla ran forward and quickly dialled Atlantis and battered team stepped through the Gate on their way home.


	9. Answers and Questions

Elizabeth rushed anxiously to the Gate. Every time John and his team returned from a mission, she had this dread, the sickening feeling in her stomach, that another one of her friends was injured. To some it might seem like an irrational fear, but her it was very rational, and had been a reality too often to be ignored.

Yet again, her fear was played out before her. Ronan was first through the Gate, cradling the lifeless body of Ria in his arms. He was closely followed by John and Rodney carrying the battered body of Carson between them. Teyla came through the Gate last, obviously protecting her colleagues.

Elizabeth immediately activated her earpiece. "Medical team to the Gate Room ASAP. Two wounded."

She ran forward and helped John and Rodney ease Carson to the ground. She looked up at John, a horrified look on her face.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We're still trying to work that one out," he said. Before he could respond further, the medical team arrived, and both Ria and Carson lifted onto gurneys. Carson moaned slightly, and Elizabeth immediately moved to his side. His eyes opened, and he looked up at her, his gaze slightly unfocused.

"Ria?" he asked.

"She's safe," Elizabeth said softly. "Some of your team are checking on her now."

Carson nodded slightly, and then groaned. Nodding had obviously not been a good idea. His eyes fluttered shut as oblivion again claimed him.

OoOoO

Elizabeth walked into the Infirmary, an anxious expression on her face. John and Rodney were standing at the side watching as Ronon and Teyla went through the final post mission checks. Further away, in a quiet corner of the infirmary, Ria lay motionless and Carson was sitting up, his left arm in a sling.

John had noticed the direction of her glance. "They are going to be okay" he said softly. "Ria is just like she was before, physically she is fine. She's just exhausted."

"And Carson?" Elizabeth asked, almost hesitantly.

"He has concussion, and has broken his left shoulder. The doctors say is going to be okay."

"Now he's stopped being sick," Rodney added. "It was gross."

Elizabeth smiled. "I'll delay a full debrief until Carson is well enough."

OoOoO

Two days later they met up in one of the conference rooms. Carson still looked very pale, and grimaced every so often when he moved. But there was a certain air of determination about him that stopped Elizabeth from asking him if he was feeling well enough for the meeting.

"So what exactly happened?" Elizabeth asked. "I know the basics, but what about the specifics." She looked round the table and none of them seemed quite ready to meet her eye.

"Rodney?" She asked, thinking he might be more cooperative than John.

"Well," the scientist started hesitantly. "I left my sunglasses behind, and Carson went back for them."

"And that's when the rock fall occurred?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," Rodney confirmed. "But there been no indication before that of any instability in the rock face."

"And then what happened?" Elizabeth asked.

This is where the explanation could get interesting. None of the team seemed keen to answer her question. Again, she resorted to forcing an answer.

"Colonel?" She looked directly at John as she spoke. He was looking down at his hands, and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"That is a difficult one to answer," he admitted. "Something, or someone, stopped the rocks from falling, and allowed us to rescue Carson."

"Has anyone any ideas on what caused the rocks to stop falling?" Elizabeth asked. She looked round the group again. "Was it Ria?" she asked directly.

"That's the only logical explanation," Rodney said. "Well, it's not really logical, not in a scientifically proven sort of way, but based on empirical evidence, it seems the only explanation. None of us did anything. And there were no unusual energy readings to explain it. In the absence of any other explanation, I can only conclude that Ria use some sort of telekinesis to stop the rock."

"Carson," Elizabeth said turning to the doctor. "Did you find any evidence of this when you examined her before?"

"No," Carson replied, shaking his head. "But the scans I didn't of her were when she was unconscious, and her brain activity was minimal. Something like that would probably only show up when she was actually using her telekinetic ability."

"Is she an ancient?" Elizabeth asked the group.

John looked round the others, his eyes rested on Teyla and Ronon. He remembered the strange look he'd intercepted between them on the mission. Deciding that the direct approach was best, he posed a question of his own.

"Have either of you two heard of anyone with these abilities in the Pegasus Galaxy?" He asked Teyla and Ronon. The pair looked at each other, uncertainly. After a moment, Ronon nodded.

"There is a legend," Teyla admitted. "It is one that both my people and Ronon's have heard. It is of the people called the Kelta. They are said to be older even than the ancients, and to have the ability to manipulate objects and people with their minds."

"But you don't believe such people exist?" John asked.

"I do not know," Teyla admitted. "It is the kind of legend that parents used to frighten children into doing as they asked. But no one had ever seen or heard of them."

"Ronon," Elizabeth said, turning to the big man. "What about your people?"

"My people also have legends of the Kelta," he admitted. "They were said to be allies of the ancients. It was said that they helped them to fight the Wraith, but then suddenly disappeared."

"What makes you think that Ria is the Kelta?" Carson asked. "We've encountered many races in Pegasus who have varying degrees of mental abilities. Why do you associate her with a seemingly mythical race?"

"It was Colonel Shepherd's reaction," Teyla replied. John gave her a questioning look.

"One of the legends," Teyla continued, "states that one of the reasons the Kelta disappeared was that many people felt uncomfortable in their presence. It caused an irrational fear of them. It is said that many of the Kelta were attacked, and even killed, so they decided to withdraw to protect themselves."

"But if they're powerful enough to stop a rock fall," John said thoughtfully. "Then surely they could protect themselves without disappearing."

"It's said that they're not all equally powerful," Ronan interjected. "Some seemed only to have weak mental powers."

"Is there any way we can tell if Ria is a Kelta?" Elizabeth asked the two natives of the Pegasus Galaxy.

However, it was Carson answered. "Why don't we just ask her?" he suggested reasonably.

Suddenly, the air in the conference room seemed to swirl slightly. And then, before their amazed eyes, Ria appeared.

"Yes," she said. "Why don't you do as Carson suggested, why don't you just ask me?"

She stood there looking at them, an air of defiance about her, her hand resting gently on Carson's good shoulder.


	10. How to Explain?

Carson was the first to recover from the shock of her appearance. He scrambled to his feet, and turned to look at her.

"Are you okay, lass? " he said, concern his voice. "You shouldn't be up yet. You take a seat." He pushed her gently towards the seat he had vacated. John immediately felt guilty. Looking at Ria, it was clear she was still exhausted. But looking at Carson, he didn't look much better than she did. Before John could take any action, Ronon got to his feet and brought over another chair for the doctor.

"Thank you, Ronon," the doctor said quietly taking his seat.

Elizabeth looked round the others, and took a deep breath. "We would certainly be interested to hear whatever you might have to say to us, Ria," she said.

Ria looked round the room. The look on the faces in front of her varied, from concern on Carson's to suspicion on John's.

"Yes," she said a confident note in her voice. "I am a Kelta. But I have to say, some of the legends have certainly grown through the years." She smiled gently in the direction of Ronon and Teyla.

"You heard what we said?" John asked.

Ria nodded. "When I realised you were discussing me, I thought it would be as well to do so."

"But how?" Rodney asked, looking around as if to see if the room was bugged.

"I used to Carson," Ria said, with an apologetic smile to the doctor. "I linked to his mind, and so heard everything he did."

"You can manipulate minds?" Ronon asked.

"Only if I have to," Ria said. "In this case, it was just the 'public mind' that I linked to. I would not go deeper unless I was invited to, or it was necessary for my survival, or that of others."

"Don't worry, lass," the doctor said gently. "I don't mind in the least."

"But we might not all be so understanding," John said pointedly. Ria just looked at him.

"Can you perhaps tell us what has happened to your people over the years?" Elizabeth asked, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Of course," Ria answered with a smile. "My people did indeed predate the Ancients. And we helped them in their battles with the Wraith. But there was a heavy price to be paid for this. You've seen the effect that using my gifts has on me." She looked round the others are she said this, and they nodded their agreement.

"It didn't take the Wraith long to realise this too," she continued. "They would attack my people until they collapsed from exhaustion. Then, when we were defenceless, they would feed off us."

Carson leaned over and placed his hand on her, offering her what comfort he could. She turned her hand in his, and laced her fingers through his. Then, she was ready to continue.

"At the start of our battle against the Wraith, there were a thousand of my people with the strength to defeat them. As Ronon said, not all my people are mentally as strong. By the end, out of that thousand there were just ten left." Teyla gasped in shock. Ria turned and gave her a smile of shared sorrow.

"The rest of my people, those who did not have the mental strength, were also decimated," she continued. "We had no choice but to flee, and we did, leaving behind only the legends."

"Why have you come back now?" John asked.

"We haven't come back, not as such," she replied. "Through the centuries, we've always had some of my people who like to explore, much like you do. I'm one of them."

"So does that mean you can't help us against the Wraith?" John asked, challengingly.

"I think I've answered that question already," she replied, a touch of irony in her voice. "Remember those two Wraith darts that disappeared?"

John ruefully nodded in response. "What about the rest of your people?" he asked.

"That, I don't know," she admitted. "I've being away from home for a long time now. But as far as I know, my people don't yet realise the Wraith are awake."

"Will they be prepared to help us?" Elizabeth asked.

"I can ask," Ria said. "But I can't promise anything."

"How will you ask them?" Rodney asked. "Will you . . . ." He motioned with his hand pointing at his head and motioned away from it. Ria smiled.

"I could ask them telepathically," she said still smiling. "But it might have more impact if I went in person."

"And how do we know you won't just disappear?" John asked.

"I can disappear at any time I want to, Colonel," Ria pointed out. "But you just need to trust me."

"Would it be possible for some of us go with you?" Elizabeth asked. "That might help add to the impact."

"How were you planning to get there?" John asked.

"The method of transportation," Ria said, "would depend on how many were going. If I was on my own, I could just teleport there in stages. But if there is more than that, then we would need to take a ship."

"How long would it take by ship?" John asked.

"A couple of days," Ria confirmed.

"Ria, if it is all right with you, I'd like Colonel Sheppard and his team to accompany you," Elizabeth said.

"I do accept that," Ria replied. "But I'd like Dr Beckett to join us too."

Elizabeth looked at Carson, her eyebrows raised in a questioning manner. He nodded his agreement.

"Very good then," Elizabeth said. "Let's put the plan into action."

The group around the table stood, and started to make their way out of the room. Carson turned to Ria, a look of concern on his face. He could see how much it had taken out of her, to join the meeting.

"It is time we got you back to bed, young lady," he said gently.

"Why, Doctor," Ria said, a smile on her face. "You do say the nicest things."

Carson's face turned bright red, and he almost stuttered, trying to correct the impression he had given. John, who was watching from the door, laughed. He came forward, and put a gentle arm round the doctor, being careful to avoid his injured shoulder.

"Don't worry, Doctor," he said. "She's just teasing you." He glanced up at Ria, who was now grinning widely.

"Are you sure about that, Colonel?" she asked, coyly.

"Och, awa' wi' ye," Carson said, still trying to get his blushing face under control.

Rodney came back into the room, looking for John. He noticed Carson and Ria.

"Should you two be back in bed?" He asked, innocently. He couldn't understand why John and Ria was burst out laughing, and Carson's face turned beetroot.


	11. Getting There

Two days later they were on the Daedalus, heading for the location Ria had given them. The team, along with Carson and Ria were gathered together, discussing various aspects of Kelta life, things that would make it easier for the team to fit in when they arrived on the planet.

"I'm curious," John said, looking at Ria. "You said before, that if you are going alone, you would teleport. But if there were more going, you'd need a ship. Didn't we all just teleport? I'm just asking," he said hesitantly. "I don't know anything about this stuff."

"Ah, Colonel," Ria said, with a smile on her face. "You spotted the flaw in my devious plan then?" She didn't seem the least bit worried about his comment.

"I noticed it too," Rodney said. "But I was too polite to mention it." His remark elicited a snort of disbelief from Carson. Rodney turned round and gave him a look. The doctor just smiled in response.

"It does make sense," Ria said. "If I was travelling alone, I'd use Stargates, mixed up with teleportation. My home planet doesn't have a Stargate. And it's impossible to get close to it simply by using Stargates. I can easily teleport you all over a reasonably short distance. But if we had to take the route I was planning for myself, then teleporting you all would exhaust me. And I don't really want to arrive home, and collapse in a little heap on the floor."

"But you'd do it very gracefully, my dear," Carson interjected.

"Why, thank you, Carson," Ria said with a big smile. "That's really sweet of you."

Carson looked slightly embarrassed, and tried to shrug nonchalantly. But his injured shoulder prevented him from doing so.

"Is your shoulder still very sore?" Teyla asked, a note of concern her voice.

"It's better that was," the doctor replied.

"Carson," Ria started hesitant. "Would you like me to ease your shoulder for you?" He looked up into her eyes, and saw the uncertainty there. He knew instinctively that she wasn't uncertain of her ability to heal him, but of how he might react to it.

"I'd really like that, love," he said gently.

"Just a minute!" John said. "If you can heal him, why didn't you do it before?"

Carson frowned at the Colonel, frustrated at his continued antipathy towards Ria.

"It's my body, Colonel," he reminded John. "And I am the doctor."

"It's okay, Carson," Ria said. "Colonel Sheppard's question is perfectly reasonable. And I have a perfectly reasonable answer. Healing, like the other uses of my gift, tires me out. After my recent efforts to prevent death and destruction," she said with a touch of irony. "I didn't have the strength to do anything else for a while. But my strength has returned, and I was simply offering to use it to help a friend, a friend who is in pain."

John had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I was just asking," he said, a little defensively.

"And I'm always glad to answer your questions," Ria said with a smile.

"Well, I don't know about you all, but I'm hungry," Ronon said, breaking the mood. "Does anyone know what's for lunch?"

"That's usually Rodney's question," John said, glad for the change of subject.

"Are you comparing me to that human trash can?" Rodney said indignantly.

"If the lid fits!" John said with a big grin.

Carson shook his head gently, and then looked up at Ria.

"Would you help me with my shoulder?" he asked gently, returning to the previous topic.

"Of course I will," she said, smiling. "Would you mind taking off your shirt?" she asked, slightly anxiously. "It just makes it easier to have contact with your skin."

"You have all the luck, Carson," Rodney said. "I get insulted, and you get undressed by a lady."

"It's the accent," John said with a grin. "It gets them every time." Carson just gave John a withering look, and then started to take off his shirt, struggling slightly because of his shoulder.

Ria reached over and helped. She then placed her hands in his bare shoulder. Carson could feel a warmth spreading out from her hands and easing the ache in his shoulder. Her eyes were focused on his shoulder, and her hands gently rubbed over his skin. All the time she was doing this, Carson could feel the warmth spreading. No one spoke.

After a few minutes, Ria straightened out, and took her hands, almost reluctantly, off Carson's shoulder. She turned to him and gave him a gentle smile.

"How does that feel?" she asked.

He looked up at her, a huge grin on his face. "That feels great," he said, unable to keep the amazement out of his voice. "It feels like new," he continued, rotating his shoulder to prove his point. "You're a miracle worker, love," he said, catching hold of her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I'm just glad I could help," Ria said smiling down on the doctor.

"If this gets much sweeter, I think I'll be sick," Rodney said, a note of disgust in his voice.

"And that would make a change!" John said sarcastically.

"I'm going for lunch," Rodney said, getting on to his feet. The others followed him, all except John who held back.

"Ria," he said softly, "could I have a word?"

Carson, who was just in front of Ria, looked back questioningly.

"Go on, Carson," Ria said. "I won't be long."

"I'll keep something back for the pair of you," he offered, then left them alone.

"Ria," John said, taking her arm and leading her over to one of the seats. "I want to apologise for the way I keep treating you. I can't seem to help myself. I want to like you. Hell, I do like you. But it is as if instinct takes over, and I find I distrust you."

"Thank you, Colonel," Ria said, with a smile. "Most people don't take the time, or the energy, to apologise or to try to understand what they're feeling."

She sighed, and settled back into the chair. "It has always been like this. No one has been able to work out why, but some people seem to have this instinctual fear of us. I've experienced it often in my travels, from many different people, on many different planets. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. My people have tried to work out why this happens, but no one has ever been able to, and that is one of the reasons we have isolated ourselves for all these years. I wish I could tell you that one day you will realise that you really do like me and have nothing to fear from me, but I would be lying."

"It must be hell for you," John said sympathetically. "Knowing that whatever you do, it won't make a difference."

Ria looked at him with a smile. "I don't know, Colonel," she said gently. "This conversation is in itself more progress than I've ever made with someone who instinctively distrusts me. Perhaps there's hope for us yet."

"I'd like to think so," John said. He then gently took her hand, and guided her towards the mess hall. "You never know," he said. "One day we might actually be friends."


	12. What a welcome

The following day, the gathered together, ready for Ria to teleport them to her home planet. John and Ronon were checking through the supplies they were taking with them. Rodney was checking his equipment, and Teyla was helping him. Ria was sitting quietly by herself, staring into space. Carson came and sat beside her, taking her hand gently in his.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine thanks," she replied, rather unconvincingly.

Carson gave her a gentle nudge. "Don't kid a kidder," he remonstrated gently, giving her a smile.

She looked into his blue eyes, and felt as if he was reading her very soul. "Okay," she conceded. She looked down at her hands, intertwined with Carson's. Her thumb was stroking the back of his hand, taking comfort from the contact.

"I'm feeling rather nervous," she admitted. "It's a long time since I've been home, and I'm not sure what welcome we'll get."

"Did you leave under a cloud?" Carson asked.

"No," Ria replied. "But many of my people are isolationists. They've good reason to be. And I'm not sure how they'll react when I turn up with a bunch of strangers."

At that moment, Rodney chose to let out a yell, as the piece of equipment he was working on gave him an electric shock.

"Some stranger than others," Carson said glancing over at his colleague. Ria laughed.

At that moment, Colonel Caldwell's voice came through the intercom.

"We've arrived at the coordinates you gave," he said.

Ria glanced up at Carson, an anxious look on her face. He gave her hand another squeeze, and then got up and went over to where his medical supplies were. The group then gathered, ready to be teleported. Ria glanced along the line.

"We won't materialise on top of somebody will we?" Rodney asked, slightly anxiously.

Ria grinned. "No, Rodney," she reassured him. "I've contacted the planet already, and they're waiting for us."

"What will it feel like?" John asked, curiosity in his voice, but in his case, no sense of fear.

"It is similar to going through the Stargate," Ria said. "But not quite so bad," she added quickly, seeing the apprehension on Carson's face. "I promise I'll get you there in one-piece." She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and was rewarded with a smile.

"Is everyone ready?" she asked. They all answered with a nod.

It was a slightly strange sensation. One moment they were looking at the walls of the Daedalus, and the next, they were looking at the ornate walls of a grand building. It was strange to move from one place to another, without actually moving. Even going through the Stargate, you walked through it, giving the sense of moving from one place to another.

They looked around, trying to take in their new surroundings. It reminded John of a grand hall he had once seen in an old manor house he had visited once, in a visit to England. It had a stately grandeur about it, a look that seemed to be untouched for centuries. There were large, arched windows. Light flooded in, even though the windows were draped with heavy curtains made from a deep burgundy velvet, trimmed with gold.

The walls were covered with a ornate wallpaper, with a raised pattern in gold against a deep rose background. Even the furniture seemed from a bygone era. It too was ornate, with gold inlay and beautifully carved features.

Suddenly, the door opened and a man came in. He had a big grin on his face, and headed straight for Ria. He enveloped her in a huge bear hug, lifting her right off her feet.

"Ria," he said. "It's good to see you again."

She returned the hug. "Thomat," she said to the man. "It's good to see you too."

"I thought you'd forgotten about us," the man said. "It's been such a long time since you were last here." He turned and looked at the others. "And you brought some friends with you!"

Ria introduced the group to Thomat. He shook each of them by the hand, pausing slightly longer with John, and then with Carson.

"Is good to have you here," he said addressing the group as a whole. "Now, let us get you settled in your rooms, and then we can show you round the city."

Without a word being spoken, audibly, two men appeared, ready to show them to their rooms.

As they were led along the corridors leading to their rooms, Rodney just about twisted his head off, trying to see everything. The walls were adorned with elaborate tapestries, and it each corner were very detailed sculptures.

"Excuse me," he said to one of their companions. "How old are these tapestries? They look very old, but they're in wonderful condition. I was wondering what process you used to keep them that way. Something like that could be very useful back home, to protect some of the things left behind by the Ancients."

One of the men turned to answer him, but before he could see anything, all hell broke loose.

Suddenly, in front of them, around 20 men appeared, all fully armed, effectively blocking the corridor. At their head, was a tall man in what looked like full armour. He was carrying a sword, and also a weapon that looked like a stunner gun.

John, Ronon and Teyla all drew there are weapons, and pointed them at their assailants, ready to defend themselves and their friends.

"You can go no further!" he ordered. He then signalled to the men behind him to come forward. "These people are armed. That should not be allowed. They are strangers, and must be imprisoned until their fate is decided."

"Now wait a minute!" John said, coming to the front. "We were invited here, and have no intention of being treated like criminals."

"But who invited you?" the other man asked. "I represent the High Council, and we didn't invite you. Guards! Take them!"

The men behind him pushed forward, and surrounded John and the others. Both groups warily eyed each other, neither sure what to do. The stand-off continued for several moments.

"Take them!" The man said again, insistently. His men looked at each other for a moment, and then without warning, Carson suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared amongst the men, a gun pointed at his head. Ronon reacted with a growl, and moved towards men. John put out a hand to stop him, but their assailants reacted more quickly. To their horror, the man holding Carson fired his weapon. The doctor sank to the floor, a look of agony on his face.


	13. Evil Intentions

_**I'd like to thank you all for your reviews and comments. They have proven very encouraging and also helpful. The comments I received in the last chapter ended up turning the story in a different direction from what I was expecting. It has made it more fun to write, and hopefully you'll enjoy reading it.**_

OoOoO

A moment after the doctor collapsed, two figures appeared beside them. It was Ria and Thomat. Ronon again instinctively moved towards them, in a threatening manner. This time, his aggression was met by an invisible wall that held him back.

"How could you?" John asked Ria. "All he did was to offer you kindness. And this is how you repay him?"

"I had no choice," Ria replied. Then, it was as if John's comments suddenly got through to her, and she noticed the crumpled body of Carson on the ground. A look of horror spread across her face, and she dropped to her knees beside Carson.

"You idiot!" she said, looking up at Patra, the leader of the men who had captured them. Her hand reached out to Carson, but was met by a force holding it back.

"Don't try to heal loverboy," Patra said. "You're too soft, Ria."

"And you're too stupid," Ria retorted. "He's the one we need! Of all the ones to hurt, why did you choose him?" She turned on Patra, her eyes blazing with anger. "Was it to hurt me? Because you knew that I cared about him?"

The tall man suddenly looked ashamed, and it was clear to those watching that Ria had hit upon the truth of the matter.

"Well too bad," she continued. "We need him. So let me heal him. And, don't think about doing it yourself. You're so clumsy, you're likely to do more harm than good."

Ria reached out her hand, and this time, she was able to touch Carson's head without any obstacle getting in the way. Her hand was gentle, as she caressed his hair. Within a matter of moments, Carson's blue eyes shot open, and he looked up into Ria's green eyes, a smile on his face.

"Thank you, love," he said softly.

"Don't be so quick to thank her," Rodney said, his voice full of indignation. "She's the reason we're in this predicament. She only saved you because they need you."

Carson looked up at her again, this time his eyes were full of hurt and confusion. "Is that true, lass?" he asked.

Ria's hand still lingered on his head, almost of its own volition. "I'm sorry, Carson," she said, her voice full of regret. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"It's a bit late now," Rodney again interrupted. "You should I thought of that before you dragged us here."

"That's enough," Thomat said. "Take them away, and take the doctor to the laboratory."

The men immediately snapped into action. The team's weapons vanished, to suddenly appear in the men's hands. And their hands were suddenly bound behind their back. Ronon immediately started to struggle, but found that even his strength was not enough to break the bonds.

Carson was dragged to his feet, and swayed slightly. Ria put out her hand to steady him, but the doctor flinched away, as if her touch would hurt him. Ria bit her lip, and let her hands fall to her side. There was a look of supreme sadness on her face.

OoOoO

The team were taken to a cold, dark room. The room had the feeling of being a deep underground, with damp walls and no windows. As soon as they were thrown into the room, they found their hands were free.

John and Ronon immediately started to search the room to see if there was any possible escape. But the walls were solid, almost as if they had been carved out of rock.

"There's nothing!" John said. "It's almost as if we've been sealed in."

"Considering the people we are working with," Rodney said. "That is distinctly possible."

"What do you think they want with Beckett?" Ronon asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," John said, shaking his head.

"I would suspect," Teyla said, speaking for the first time since they had been captured. "It has something to do with his research into genetics."

"That makes sense," Rodney said nodding. "From what Ria told us, they don't have that many people with strong mental abilities. They probably want Carson to do his hocus pocus stuff on their DNA to make them stronger."

"If they use their 'gifts' to retain people against their will, and force them to do what they want, then I hope Carson fails this time."

"But what'll they do to us, and particularly to him, if he does?" Ronon said ominously.

The others just looked at each other, the anxiety very clearly written on their faces.

OoOoO

While the others are exploring their prison, Carson was taken to the scientific laboratory which his captors had prepared for him.

"Well, Dr Beckett," Thomat said. "Here is where you can do your work."

"And what work is that?" Carson asked.

"It's perfectly simple," Thomat answered. "We want you to manipulate our DNA to make us stronger, and to make sure in future, that more of our people have strong telepathic gifts."

"Now let me get this straight," Carson said, a look of indignation on his face. "You want me to help you to make you stronger so you can force other people to do what you want them to, and manipulate them to get your own way. Not bloody likely!"

The doctor had barely finished speaking, before he let out an agonising groan, and fell to his knees clutching his head.

"Stop that!" Ria said, turning on the other man. "Patra can't you get it through your thick skull that we need him, and we need him in one piece."

Almost instantly, Carson's pain subsided. He looked up at Ria, but the look he gave her was not one of gratitude, it held the hurt and betrayal he felt by her actions. Ria took a step back as the look had almost a physical impact on her.

"Whether I'm in one piece and no'," Carson said. "It won't make much difference. I've no intention of helping you. This galaxy has one set of bullies already, in the Wraith, and there's no way I'm helping create another."

"But, Carson," Ria said, dropping to her knees beside him. "We can act as a balance, and help protect you, so the threat of the Wraith is diminished."

"Aye, lass," Carson said, his voice full of sadness. "But whose to say you wouldn't be worse than them. You havenae exactly proven trustworthy so far."

"But it's me we're talking about," Ria said, a plea in her voice.

"Aye, lass," Carson replied. "That's exactly my point."

This time it was Ria's eyes that held the hurt, and brimmed with tears.

"Do you still want to spare him pain?" Patra asked. Ria didn't reply, she simply stared at Carson, letting him see her own pain.

Patra grinned, the smile an evil one, and then with a flick of his mind caused Carson to again collapsed in agony. This time, Ria did not intervene.


	14. What will you do to him?

_**Thanks again for the reviews, and I'm glad you've enjoyed the change of direction as much as I have. There are a couple of vague spoilers for "Poisoning the Well" and later Season Two episodes, but nothing too specific. Enjoy!**_

OoOoO

Part of the walls of their prison, suddenly seemed to dissolve. In the gap that was left, two of the guards appeared, an unconscious Carson between them.

The stepped forward, and then pushed his unresisting body forward. As his body hit the ground, he let out a groan. The guards, their faces impassive, simply stepped back, and the walls to their prison were again complete.

The rest of the team rushed over to Carson, anxious to see how he was. Teyla lifted his head gently from the ground, and cradled it in her lap. His eyes struggled open, and he looked up at his friends.

"How are you, Carson?" Teyla asked, gently brushing back his hair from his face.

"I've been better," the doctor admitted, struggling to try to sit up.

"Take it easy, Doc," John said, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What did they do to you?" Ronon asked, cutting to the chase as usual.

"They wanted me to manipulate their DNA to make them stronger," Carson confirmed their earlier thoughts. "When I refused, they didn't like it very much."

With the help of Ronon and Rodney, Carson managed to get his feet, although he looked very unsteady.

Before they could ask Carson any more questions, the walls of the prison again disappeared, this time to reveal Ria. Ronon immediately reacted with aggression. He moved towards the small woman, his need for vengeance very clear in his body language. But before he reached her, he was again stopped by an invisible wall.

"What do you want?" John asked, no longer trying to hide his reaction to her. "Have you come to gloat?"

Ria looked at him, a deep sadness in her eyes. "I want to try to explain . . . " she started. But before she could get any further, Rodney interrupted.

"Explain what?" he asked. "Why you tricked us into coming here? Why you want Carson here to turn you into super-sonic-mind-controlling-bully-boys? Why you just about killed him when he refused? Yes, I think that we would all be interested to hear how you can possibly explain all of that away, without making you sound the monsters that you obviously already are."

"Rodney," John admonished. "Stop trying to be so nice."

"Look," Ria said, a note of desperation entering her voice. "I admit I didn't tell you the whole truth, but the fact is we desperately need your help. And I thought, obviously wrongly, that you would welcome a chance to defeat the Wraith."

"Don't get me wrong," John said in response. "We certainly want to defeat the Wraith. But not at any cost. Not by creating another monster to take their place."

"We are not monsters!" Ria said.

"You could have fooled me," John said.

"Carson," Ria said, turning to the doctor with an appeal in her eyes. "You must understand. My people need you. Without your help, we will die off, not just from Wraith attacks, but from the hatred of ordinary people."

"No, Ria," Carson replied. "You're the one who should understand. I told you about the Hoffans, and you listened as if you understood. You gave me sympathy when we talked about Michael, and the retrovirus. And yet now you want me to change you to make you more powerful than anyone in the galaxy. I think not."

"But, Carson," she said. "You have the power to save us. You have the chance to do good, to use your skills to help us, to allow us to survive. My people are getting weaker, our mental power is lessening in each generation. But the hatred, the distrust, the people show us is getting stronger."

"And you don't think your behaviour has anything to do with this?" John interjected. "Nothing you've done since we got here has exactly won our trust."

"We are desperate," Ria admitted. "And we don't have time for social niceties."

"It is not just social niceties that you are lacking," Teyla join the conversation. "It is basic human kindness. If you had asked, explained to us your position, we might have been able to help you. But we do not react well to threats and intimidation."

"So," Ria said, looking at Carson. "You will not help us willingly?"

"Sorry, lass," he replied quietly. "I cannae."

"I'm sorry, Carson," she said, a deep sadness in her eyes as she looked into his.

With that, she went over to the wall and a sudden gap appeared. Through that gap, a group of men appeared. Ria stood to the side as they approached the team. Once again, there was an invisible wall holding them back, all except for Carson. The men approached him, and suddenly he found his hands were bound behind his back.

"What are you going to do with him?" John asked. At first, no one answered.

"Ria," John said, appealing to the woman. "Please, tell me what you're going to do to him."

"Don't talk!" One of the men ordered. "You are not involved in this."

"The hell I'm not!" John said moving towards the invisible barrier. "He's one of my team, he's a friend, tell me!"

The man looked towards Ria. She nodded, sadly.

"You did ask," the man said. "We need the information, the knowledge, the skills your 'friend' possesses. If he won't help us, then we will take the information from him."

"So your voodoo mind doctors can steal ideas," Rodney said, discussed in his voice. "Very moral. Very high-minded of you. You make a good match for the Wraith. You're both equally as evil." Rodney sarcasm could not hide anxiety he felt for his friend. It was there, very obviously, in his eyes.

It was a fear that was shared by the rest of the team. And it was Teyla who finally put a voice to those fears.

"What will it do to Dr Beckett?" she asked.

"That's a very good question," the man replied. "How long was it that the last poor soul survived?" he asked, turning to one of the other men.

"A week, wasn't it?" the other man replied. "If you could call what was left of him, living."

" Ria!" John said, turning to them and silently standing at the doorway. "Are you just going to stand there and let them do that Carson? You claimed to be his friend at one time."

"There's nothing I can do," Ria said, her voice full of sadness. "The choice is not mine to make." As she said this, she looked directly at Carson, allowing him to see the pain she was feeling.

The doctor met her eyes, but then deliberately turned and looked away.

"Carson," she said, almost crying. "I'm sorry."

"Yes, lass," Carson replied, a touch of bitterness in his voice. "So am I."


	15. Test Subject

The men dragged Carson along a dark and damp corridor. His mind was racing. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so afraid. Even through all the horrors of Genii and Wraith attacks on Atlantis, he hadn't felt as afraid. It was a feeling of helplessness, of having no control over his own destiny, that was truly frightening. Mixed in with that emotion, was the hurt he felt at the betrayal by Ria. He had trusted her, thought of her as his friend. He had even hoped, somewhere in the back of his mind, that she might become more than a friend. And now, he was facing death because she had led him into a trap. Even after all the conversations, when he had opened his heart to her, about Perna, about Michael, she had still asked this of him. The question that kept coming to his mind was why. Why had she done this to them?

"I had no choice," a gentle voice said in his mind. His eyes opened wide, and his body went tense.

"Relax, Carson," the voice said. Her mental voice was so like her physical voice, that there was no mistaking who was speaking. "Just think what you want me to hear," Ria said in his mind. "And I can answer you."

"What about the others?" he thought.

"They can't hear us," she said. "This is just between you and me."

"What do you mean you had no choice?" he asked. "There is always a choice."

"Not this time," she replied. "They have my brother. If I didn't do what they wanted me to, they would kill him."

"So instead they're going to kill me?" he asked, a certain edge to his thought.

"I didn't think this would happen," she admitted. "I thought you would help us. I guess I wasn't looking at the bigger picture, until it was too late, much too late."

"Don't you see," he said. "I can't turn you all into super-humans. It would be too bloody dangerous. Can't the leaders of your people see that?"

"These aren't our leaders, well not exactly," she admitted.

"And just what you mean by that?" he asked.

"The real leaders don't want anything to do with this. The people here are a breakaway faction who feel the only way we can secure a future is by increasing our mental abilities."

"And you agree with them?" he asked.

"I don't know," her voice echoed quietly in his mind. "I don't want to be powerful. I'd be scared I'd hurt someone. But the thought of the Wraith scares me. And we need some sort of defence against them."

"Strength, physical or mental, doesn't always guarantee victory," Carson reminded her gently. "If you start thinking like that, lass, you're half way to thinking like the Wraith. And even without being powerful, you can still hurt someone."

The look on Ria's face told Carson that his comment had hit home. He was hurting, emotionally, from her betrayal. And before long, he could well be hurting physically too.

"Just how did you get mixed up with this crowd?" he asked her.

"It was through my brother," she told him. "He got caught up with their ideas, and dragged me in."

"And now they're using him as a hostage?" Carson asked.

Before they could continue their conversation, the guards dragging Carson stopped. The wall in front of them opened up, and before them was the same laboratory they had been in earlier.

Patra was standing there, his evil grin firmly in place.

"Welcome, again, Dr Beckett," he said. "I believe you know what we plan to do to you. You still have a choice. You can help us willingly, or we take the information from you. But I warn you, no one has yet survived our methods of extracting information." The man looked as if he enjoyed the thought of killing Carson.

"Carson," voice in his head said gently. "Please, for my sake, help us! Give me some time to work this out, and maybe we can all survive."

Carson hesitated for a moment. In his heart he wanted to trust Ria, but his head reminded him that she had already betrayed him. But above all, he didn't want to die. His self-preservation instincts had been well honed by his time on Atlantis. They had got out of seemingly impossible situations on many occasions before, to the extent it had become almost commonplace, worrying so. It scared Carson that even now, when he faced the possibility of his own death, he was half expecting the cavalry to ride over the hill, rousing music playing in the background. He had to remind himself that this was reality, and death was a distinct possibility.

Suddenly, it occurred to him that these people could read his mind. So even if he did agree to help them, he wouldn't be able to fool them. And even at that very moment, they could be silently laughing at his scattered thoughts.

"Don't worry, Carson," Ria's voice echoed in his mind. "I've made sure none of them can read your thoughts. They belong to you."

"Can you do that all the time?" he asked.

"Only if I'm close to you," she admitted. "I really have to been the same room as you, to be able to see you, before I can cloak your thoughts."

With the decisiveness that was only usually evident when he was caring for a patient, Carson decided on his course of action.

He turned to Patra, and looked the man directly in the eyes.

"You don't really leave me much choice," Carson said. "All right, I'll do the research for you, but I need help. I'll need someone to act as a test subject."

Ria, her mind still linked with his, saw his intent.

"I'll be the test subject," she said meeting his eyes steadily.

Patra looked at them both.

"What an excellent idea," he said, his smile widening even further. "That way, Dr Beckett, if you make any mistakes, it is our little friend, here, who will suffer. Since she is the reason you here, that seems completely appropriate to me."

Carson looked at the man in front of him. It was rare for him to hate anyone. But, at that moment, he came very close to hating Patra. It was obvious that the other man saw this as an ideal opportunity to get rid not only of Carson, but of Ria too, or at the very least, to make them both suffer. Carson looked at Ria, and he could see the same knowledge in her eyes. It was now up to Carson to make sure that they both came out of this alive.


	16. How Do We Find Them?

Elizabeth Weir sat at her desk, looking at the computer screen before her. It had been strangely quiet on Atlantis over the last few days. Most of her senior staff were away on one mission or another. She even found that she was missing Rodney's constant babbling.

She was about to go to check with Dr Zelenka on his progress with the latest ancient device they had found. However, just as she stood up, a transmission was put through to her. It was Colonel Caldwell.

"Dr Weir," he said by way of acknowledgement. "I wanted to check if you had heard anything from Colonel Sheppard and his team?"

Elizabeth's heart immediately missed a beat.

"No, Colonel," she replied. "I assumed that you would be in contact with them."

"Yes, Dr Weir, I had assumed the same. But unfortunately, we've heard nothing from them since they left the ship."

"Did you arrange regular contact times?" she asked.

Colonel Caldwell's eyebrows rose sharply. He bit back the flippant reply that immediately sprang to his lips, and settled for a clipped response.

"Of course!"

Elizabeth sighed. Just what trouble had John and his team got into this time?

"The problem is," Caldwell continued. "We don't really know where they are. Ria insisted that the location was kept secret. She said her people are adamant that their whereabouts remained hidden."

"Can you give us your current coordinates?" she asked. "I will asked Dr Zelenka to determine what planets are habitable within a reasonable distance of your location. I will get back to you as soon as we have more information for you."

"Thank you, Dr Weir," Caldwell replied. "I've already got Hermoid looking into that too, and we are also scanning for any life signs within our sensor range."

"Thank you, Colonel," she replied. "Keep me informed of any progress."

OoOoO

Rodney paced up and down, almost driving John to distraction. He only halted his pacing to vent his frustration on one of the backpacks they had brought with them. Thankfully, I didn't contain anything breakable, so the only thing that could be damaged when Rodney kicked it, was his foot.

"Are you just going to sit there, doing nothing, while they turn Carson's brain to mush?" he said, turning on John. "We've got to do something!" His voice reflected the desperation he was feeling.

"Well," John retorted. "If you can come up with any bright ideas, I'm open to suggestions. But since we can't even get out of here, our options are severely limited."

"How long will it be before Colonel Caldwell raises the alarm?" Teyla asked.

"Well," John said, looking at his watch. "We've missed two checked in times. So by now he should've told Elizabeth."

"But they won't know where look for us," Ronon pointed out bluntly.

"I just wish I was back on Atlantis," Rodney said, his voice now full of exasperation.

John met Ronon's eyes, and the large man raised his eyebrows, ironically.

"So do we," John muttered under his breath.

"Zelenka, Carson and I were working out the range of Ria's abilities," Rodney continued, completely oblivious to the exchange between John and Ronon. "If I were there, I might be able to work out a search radius to look for us."

"Could not Dr Zelenka do that?" Teyla asked.

"Yes, yes," Rodney replied. "But it'll take him for ever, by which time, we could all be turned to mush."

OoOoO

Carson and Ria had been left alone in the laboratory. There was a guard on the door, so any semblance of freedom was a false one. However, Carson found he was beginning to relax slightly, for the first time since this mission had blown up in their faces.

"Is it safe to talk?" he asked Ria.

"Yes," she replied. "I set a barrier round the room, so no one can hear what we say or think."

"Look, lass," Carson said, unable to stop himself from whispering, despite her reassurances. "I don't really know what we can accomplish by this. I cannae just go ahead and turn you into super-humans. It's just no' right!"

"You need to buy me time, Carson," Ria said. "I need to find out what they've done to my brother, only then can I help you."

"Look, love," Carson said gently. "You might have to consider that he could be involved in all of this. They may just be using you, lass," he continued.

Ria spun round to face him. He saw in her, again, the same person who has stood by and let Patra hurt him.

"And what if he is?" she demanded. "He's still my brother!"

Carson shook his head. Just when he thought he was beginning to understand Ria, she changed again. By nature, he trusted people. He always tried to see the best in them. However, his time in the Pegasus Galaxy had tempered that trust. Too often he found his trust was betrayed, and the best he saw in people was not enough to outweigh the bad side to their character.

He turned to look at Ria, confusion settling in his mind. He wanted to trust her, he almost needed to, but the hurt she had already caused him, was still fresh in his mind. He wished that the others were here, but he was on his own, and any decision he made had to be made alone.

Ria had remained silent as he thought. He looked at her, meeting her eyes with a steady gaze. And suddenly, his decision was clear. He now knew what he had to do.


	17. Rodney Tries to Help

"Dr Weir!" Colonel Caldwell's voice broke into the silence of Elizabeth's office. "I think we may have found the planet."

Elizabeth sat up straighter in her chair. At last, they had a breakthrough of sorts. "Have you made contact yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," Caldwell replied. "Hermiod is still checking all the data we have collected so far. Once he's finished his investigations, I will contact you again."

"I want to be there," Elizabeth said, a note of authority in her voice.

"I don't see how that's possible," Caldwell said. "It took us two days to get here, and we can't waste that sort of time when our people's lives could be in danger."

"There's a Stargate on M6T-564," Zelenka's voice interrupted. "That is close to where you are at present, Colonel Caldwell. If Dr Weir travels through the Stargate, you could pick her up there."

"I wonder why Ria didn't suggest that route," Elizabeth said, almost to herself.

"Well," Caldwell replied. "If you're planning to kidnap people, the last thing you want to do is tell anyone where you're taking them."

"Good point," Elizabeth acknowledged. "How soon can you be at M6T-564?"

"Within the hour," Caldwell replied.

"I'll see you within the hour, then. Weir out."

OoOoO

John sat on the floor; his head slumped towards his knees. Rodney was lying curled up in a corner. All his pacing around had eventually caught up with him, and he had fallen asleep about an hour before. John's ears were thankful for the respite.

Ronon and Teyla had both fallen asleep not long after Rodney, and John realised that he would not be far behind them. However, John's dozing was interrupted by the door of their prison opening. He came fully awake when he saw who was being pushed through the door. It was Carson.

John jumped to his feet, and then wished that he hadn't, as his foot, which had been curled under him, give way under his weight. He put his hand out and he steadied himself against the wall, before he turned and smiled at the doctor.

"It is good to see you again, Carson," he said, looking at the doctor who had an air of exhaustion about him.

John's words brought to the other three team members to wakefulness. Ronon and Teyla both got to their feet with the grace of natural athletes. Rodney scrambled to his feet, in alarm, bumping into the wall, before he turned round to see what was going on.

"Are you all right, Carson?" Teyla asked, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"I've been better, love," Carson said, weariness very evident in his voice.

"They didn't turn your brain to mush, did they?" Rodney asked.

"No, Rodney," Carson replied with a gentle smile. "My brain is still in one piece, for the moment."

"So, if they didn't disintegrate your brain, does that mean you are actually helping them?" Rodney continued.

"Surely you're not going to turn them into super-humans?" Ronon asked. "We've got enough to handle with the Wraith, without you creating new enemies."

"It's a wee bit more complicated than that," Carson advised them.

"What have you found out, Carson?" John asked.

"Well, you see it's like this," Carson explained. "The people who've captured us are not the official leaders of the Kelta. Apparently the real leaders don't approve of this. Ria got involved because they threatened to kill her brother if she didn't bring us here. She's asked me to buy her some time, by playing along with them, so she can find her brother and rescue him."

"And you fell for that?" Rodney asked, incredulously. "I bet that's one of the oldest tricks in the book. Are you sure she even has a brother? Don't you see, Carson, she's trying to get you on her side again with a well worn sob story. Sometimes you're just so gullible."

"Rodney!" John said, interrupting scientist. He could see from the look on Carson's face how hurt the doctor was by Rodney's remarks. "You weren't there; Carson was. It could be true for all we know. And I for one am glad they didn't fry Carson's brain."

"You look tired, Carson," Teyla said gently.

"Aye, lass," Carson admitted. "I've been trying to work out a way of creating something that will make them think it's what they want, but won't have any lasting effect."

"Clever, Carson," Rodney said. Then, before any of the others could get a word in, Rodney started to fire questions at Carson about what he was doing. Before long John's head was spinning, trying to keep up with the conversation. He glanced over at Ronon and Teyla, and was pleased to note they both had a glazed expression on their face.

The three of them settled themselves against the wall, and made themselves comfortable. There was no point in trying to join in the conversation, even if they could get a word in edgeways. But it was also impossible to fall asleep while Rodney's voice continued its detailed monologue. Or so John thought. It was a gentle snoring sound that first caught his attention, and then he realised that Carson's eyes had fluttered shut.

He glanced at Teyla, and her smile told him she had noticed to. Ronon just shook his head.

It was a full five minutes later before Rodney noticed the lack of response from Carson. He turned to the others, the look of indignation on his face.

"That's all the thanks I get for trying to help him," he said.

"Rodney," John replied. "The poor man has been working flat out the last 36 hours. I think he just needs a rest."

"Do you think it is possible for us to contact the official leaders on this planet?" Teyla asked.

"There's not much we can do while we're stuck in here," John replied. "But hopefully Elizabeth and Caldwell will be able to find us, and they might do a bit of fancy negotiation. I just hope they're in time. I'm not sure how much longer Carson can go on fooling Patra and the others. They don't seem patient kind to me."

"D'you reckon there is any chance Ria could help us?" Ronon asked.

"Even if she offered," John replied. "I'd not trust her for a minute. Carson might be willing to forgive and forget, but I'm not that forgiving. No, if we're gonna get out of here, we have to do it ourselves. And just hope that it is in time, before Carson either wears himself out, or they decide he would be a good test patient for the 'mush-machine'."


	18. Contact

Colonel Caldwell was almost glad to see Elizabeth come on board. He didn't really like political negotiations. He was military; and man of actions not words. Elizabeth, on the other hand, seemed to thrive in the political arena, and, for all that he may not agree with her decisions, she was a good negotiator.

As she came onto the bridge, she headed immediately for Colonel Caldwell.

"Have you made contact yet?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I thought I leave you that pleasure."

"Thank you," she said, a smile on her face.

Colonel Caldwell nodded to one of his officers who immediately responded by flicking a switch.

"Channel open, Sir," the officer confirmed.

"This is Dr Elizabeth Weir; please confirm if I am speaking to the Kelta."

A moment of silence followed her statement. She turned to look a Caldwell, ready to make another transmission. But before she could say anything else, a voice could be heard responding to a statement.

"This is Malteen, of the Kelta; I can confirm that you have reached the Keltan home world. Please confirm the nature of your business with us."

Elizabeth glanced a Caldwell, an excited smile on her face. "Several of my people were invited to planet three days ago, we haven't heard from them since, and we are concerned about them."

"One moment, please," the voice said.

"Dr Weir," a new voice said. "I am Telen, one of the High Council of the Kelta. Please tell us little about your people who were invited to our planet."

Elizabeth thought for a moment, uncertain about how much information she should give at this stage. "One of the people belongs to our military, two are from different planets here in Pegasus, another is a scientist, and the other a doctor."

"May I ask, Dr Weir?" Telen replied. "Is either the scientist, or the doctor a genetic expert?"

Elizabeth's eyes met Caldwell's, both pairs of eyes reflected the concern they were feeling.

"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed. "Dr Beckett is a genetic expert. Can I ask you why you asked that question?"

"Dr Weir, I think it would be best if you and I met," Telen said. "Would you allow me to bring you to the planet?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Caldwell interrupted quickly. "This is Colonel Steven Caldwell. Dr Weir's safety is my concern. We've already lost five people on your planet, with all due respect Sir, I do want to lose any more people."

"Your caution is noted, Colonel Caldwell," Telen responded. "And it is also appreciated. Would it then be possible for me to join you on your ship?"

Caldwell looked at Elizabeth, who nodded.

"I agree to your visit,"Caldwell confirmed

OoOoO

Carson had managed a few hours uninterrupted sleep, and felt marginally better for it. He had used the work he had done with Rodney and Radek before they left Atlantis as the basis for what he was doing now. He had now been able to identify the gene sequence which resulted in the telepathic and telekinetic abilities being present, and which determined their strength.

In many way, that was the easy bit. The difficult part was translating this knowledge into the means to create or enhance these abilities in an individual test subject. It was always at this stage that the unknown factors crept in. It was at this stage that the unlooked for side effects would show themselves as they had on Hoff. It is also the stage at where the success rate would become obvious. It was distinctly possible that this genetic manipulation would only have the same success rate as the ancient gene therapy, and that was less than fifty percent. All these thoughts were chasing each other around in Carson's brain to the extent that he didn't even notice when Patra came into the laboratory.

"Dr Beckett!" Patra said, in a voice demanding attention. "I want a progress report, and now!"

Carson turned, momentarily startled by the other man's appearance, and it took a few seconds to gather his scattered thoughts. Ria stood at Patra's side, an apprehensive look on her face. Carson considered for a moment what he should do, then motioned the equipment that were scattered across the bench in front of him.

"Well," he said, starting hesitantly. "I've managed to identify the gene that gives you these abilities."

Before he could go any further, Patra interrupted him with an enthusiastic cry.

"Excellent, excellent!" he said. "I knew you could do it, Doctor. Now you can test it on Ria."

"Now just wait a minute," Carson said, his voice full of nervous tension. "There's no way I'm ready to test this on a human patient yet. I need to run a number of computer simulations before I'm ready to think about that. There's no point in jumping into this, it just causes problems."

"I'm not happy, Doctor," Patra said, drumming his fingers in the bench as he spoke. "If I find out that you're stalling, then I'll be very unhappy indeed. And you don't want to see me very unhappy; people tend to suffer when I'm like that."

Ria caught Carson's eye. He raised his eyebrows questioningly. She responded with a gentle shake of her head.

"I'm not found him yet," her voice said gently in his head.

"I'm sorry, lass," he replied.

Patra seemed to sense that some form of communication had been going on between the two of them. His eyes narrowed, and he turned on the doctor.

"You aren't holding out on me, are you?" he said, his voice sharp.

"Of course not," Carson replied quickly, almost too quickly.

"I'm not sure I trust you, Doctor," Patra said. "So let me remind you just what you will suffer if I ever find out that you are hiding something."

At that moment, an excruciating pain screamed through Carson's head. He collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his head in agony. He looked up at the other man, his eyes beseeching him to stop. But Patra just laughed, and increased the agony another notch. Carson fell to the ground, curled up in a foetal position, moaning in pain. With another twist, Patra increased his suffering, and the doctor welcomed the release of unconsciousness.


	19. Testing

Although Elizabeth was expecting Telen to appear, she still got a fright when he suddenly materialised in front of her. He was a small man, but had an air of authority about him.

"Welcome," Elizabeth said, with a smile on her face. "Please, take a seat." She indicated the table which had been set up for the meeting.

Telen sat down, and smiled at her.

"It's always good to meet new friends," he said. "And I trust that our friendship can be beneficial to both of us."

"My feelings exactly," she replied. "You asked if one of my team was an expert in genetics. I'm interested to know why you asked that question."

"You're very direct, Dr Weir," Telen said. "I like that. It can save a lot of time."

"In the interests of saving time," Elizabeth said with a smile. "Are you going to tell me the reason?"

"There is a group amongst my people." Telen explained. "Who believe that the only way we can survive is to become stronger in the gifts we possess. This is not a view shared by the majority of our people, or by the leadership. However, that has not stopped this group from trying to persuade our own geneticists to help them in their quest. In fact, the truth is that none of our geneticists would be able to help them. Do you think your doctor would be capable of this?"

"I believe he would," Elizabeth confirmed. "While Ria was with us, he started doing tests and was very close to discovering the gene involved with your gifts."

As soon as Elizabeth had mentioned Ria's name, Telen's eyebrows shot up. "Marianna," he said softly. "What have you got yourself into this time, child?"

"You know Ria?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes," he confirmed. "She is one of the strongest amongst my people. Yet she has always been restless, wanting to explore. But I didn't believe she was involved with this faction. Her younger brother was, but I thought that Ria had too much sense for that."

He shook his head, sadly. Elizabeth decided it might be politic to change the subject.

"Have you any idea where my people might be?" Elizabeth asked.

"We've been keeping the faction under surveillance for many months," Telen confirmed. "From what our sources tell us, they have taken over a facility, in the mountains. It is very likely that you people are there."

"Will you help us release them?" Elizabeth asked.

"We are at the point of exposing their leadership." Telen said. "I don't believe your people are in any immediate danger, and I asked you to grant us a little more time in order to put our plan into place. It will only be a matter of a day or so, and then we will be ready to bring this faction down. We will ensure that your people are released unharmed."

Elizabeth was not completely happy with this. But there was little she could do to force the issue. The Kelta held all the cards. She didn't even know where her people were. After a moment's consideration she agreed to Telen's plan, but she did added a proviso.

"I want Colonel Caldwell and myself to be involved in this plan of yours, so we can be sure that our people are safe."

"Of course," Telen agreed immediately. "We will keep you fully informed. Now, I must say goodbye, and apologise for my haste, but I have another meeting that I must attend."

Before Elizabeth could reply, the man disappeared.

OoOoO

The gap in the wall opened again, and Carson's unconscious body was thrown in. This time, however, he did not groan as he landed. He lay utterly still. John jumped to his feet, but Teyla reached Carson before him. She put her fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. Sitting back, she sighed with relief.

"He is still alive," she said. Her eyes, and gentle hands, checked the rest of his body. "There does not appear to be any physical injury."

"You don't think they've turned his brain to mush?" Rodney asked, his face reflecting the horror that they all felt at this possibility.

"Let's make him as comfortable as we can," John said, trying to send decisive. "There's not much more we can do, unless someone has a medical scanner hidden away somewhere."

"Oh let me see," Rodney responded ironically. "I must have forgotten to pack that this time."

"D'you think Dr Weir will have found out what happened to us yet?" Ronon asked.

"Slight problem!" Rodney responded. "Even if she has found out, she can't exactly just waltz in here and free us, and I can't she?"

"I'm sure she has a plan," John said.

"But she has none of us to help put that plan to practice," Rodney pointed out. "The combination of Caldwell and Zelenka doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence."

Just as he spoke, Carson let out a groan. All eyes turn to him, wondering if his first words would be words of comforting intelligence, or mindless gibberish.

"What's the matter?" Carson asked, slightly groggily. "Have I grown two heads or something?"

"It is just nice to have you back with us," Teyla said, putting a hand on his arm.

"They didn't touch you with any of their mind-sucking machines?" Rodney asked.

"Not as far as I know," Carson confirmed, struggling to sit up.

"How's the research going?" John asked. "And please," he continued. "Use words of one syllable, so Ronon can understand of course."

This earned him a threatening stare from the big man.

"I've identified the gene, and I've developed a possible way of enhancing their capabilities. But I want to try running some computer simulations before it's ready to be tested on humans."

"Did you manage to understand all about?" Ronon asked John sarcastically. He got a grunt in response.

"Very mature!" Rodney said.

"Coming from you, Rodney," John retorted. "That's almost a compliment."

Before Rodney could reply, the door to the prison appeared and Patra stood before them.

"Dr Beckett," he said. "You are needed in the laboratory, immediately. We decided we couldn't wait for you to test your theory any further. And unfortunately, the test hasn't gone very well. Before I left, the test subject seemed to be screaming in agony."

Carson jumped to his feet, very evidently extremely angry. "You idiots!" he shouted. "Can you no' listen. I said I wasn't ready yet. And who's the poor bugger you tested it on?"

"Ria, of course," Patra said, a look of triumph on his face.


	20. Freedom

_**I'd like to thank you all for your reviews and encouragement. We're getting near the end of the story now, though there is still a wee bit more suffering in store for our poor Dr Beckett. Enjoy!**_

OoOoO

Carson was out the door, and it had closed behind him, before any of the others had a chance to react.

"Not again!" John said, resignation tingeing his voice.

"It's not like Carson's bad at his job," Rodney said. "It's just that used to good at it. But don't any of you tell him that I said that," Rodney added hurriedly.

OoOoO

Carson was still unsteady on his feet as he ran along the corridors towards the laboratory. In his mind, he was replaying images of Perna, Ellia and Michael. Would the memory of Ria now be added to the pain his job had brought him since he came to the Pegasus Galaxy? He only tried to help people, to find solutions to the problems they faced. But somehow, in this Galaxy, the solutions themselves seemed to become part of the problem.

The sight that greeted him when he reached the laboratory did nothing to alleviate his fears. On a makeshift bed, made from one of the old benches, Ria lay, pale yet agitated. Restraints had been placed around her wrists, across her legs, and round her waist. Although she wasn't fully conscious, she was still fighting against the restraints. Sweat was running off her body, and her eyes were screwed shut in pain.

"You bloody idiots!" Carson said, not trying to hide his anger. "Just what do you think you are doing? I told you it wasn't ready to be tested on humans. But no, you knew better, didn't you?"

The men who were standing closest to Ria, and therefore closest Carson, moved back a pace. His anger was so tangible, it was almost physical.

Still muttering to himself, Carson started to check Ria over. He checked her pulse, her breathing and her blood pressure. All were at dangerous levels. He then checked the IV they were using to administer the gene therapy. The only thing that had saved Ria so far was that they had administered it slowly. Even so, the dosage they had given her was dangerously high, and was pushing her body beyond all safe limits.

"I trust you won't lose the patient," Patra said from the door, his voice infuriatingly patronising.

Carson paused a moment in his examination, and turned on the man. Even Patra took a step back when he saw the fury on the doctor's face.

"Don't you dare interrupt me again," Carson said, his voice full of barely hidden anger. "You, and your stupid arrogance, caused this. So stay out of my way, and let me do my job."

Patra regarded the other man with surprise. He had thought the doctor was a timid man, a gentle man, not the fighter he saw before him. Deciding, after a moment's thought, that discretion was the better part of valour, he held up his hands in a signal of surrender, and then turned and left the room. The other men who had entered with Patra also left, leaving Carson with Ria, and two guards.

OoOoO

The first sign they had that something was happening was a distant echo of a gentle thud. John and Ronon glanced at each other. They had both been in too many gunfights not to recognise that sound.

"What was that?" Rodney asked, suddenly awakening from his semi-slumber.

"Well," John replied. "I'm hoping it's the cavalry. If not, we could be in even more trouble than we are now."

"That is gun fire?" Teyla asked hesitantly.

"It sure sounds like it," Ronon confirmed.

"The problem is," Rodney added. "Who's winning? Is it the good guys, or the bad guys?"

"And," John added. "Just who are the good guys?"

The sounds started to get closer. The team stood in silence, as a gun battle seemed to rage just outside their prison. They were all on their feet, ready to defend themselves, or even to run, if that seemed the best option. Part of the problem was that there was no obvious door to guard. The gap seemed to appear randomly.

The tension in the room was palpable. You could almost reach out and touch it. Adrenaline was rushing through their veins, making them react to every sound.

When an entrance way suddenly appeared in their prison, it appeared in the only wall which had remained complete up until that point. A man appeared in the entrance way, fully armed, and ready for combat. When he saw the prisoners inside, his eyes momentarily became distant, almost as if he was talking to somebody else.

"Are you Dr Weir's people?" he asked.

Teyla and Ronon exchanged a hopeful glance.

"Yes," Rodney confirmed, before John had a chance to advise caution.

The man's eyes went distant again. "Please come with me," he ordered. "I can take you to safety."

John and Ronon both hesitated for a moment, unsure if this was a trap, or a genuine chance of freedom. Rodney had followed the man out the door, but then hastily jumped back in again, as a sound of gunfire came ever closer.

"The corridors aren't safe as yet," the man said, stating the obvious.

"He sounds like Ronon," Rodney said, earning himself a clear from the big man.

The guard turned to look at them, checking how many of them there were.

"Will you allow me to teleport you?" he asked, almost politely. "It's the safest way to get you to a secure location quickly."

"Can you take us to Dr Weir?" John asked.

"That's exactly where I was planning to take you," the man replied.

"Then that's fine by me," John replied. The others nodded their agreement too.

Within a moment, the prison vanished, to be replaced by a bright, and ornate room. Standing in the middle of the room, were Dr Weir and Colonel Caldwell.

Elizabeth rush forward to greet them.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes searching for any obvious signs of injury.

"We're fine," John replied.

"Well, speak for yourself," Rodney interrupted. "It's such a long time since I've eaten anything, I nearly went into hypoglycaemic shock."

"Well," Elizabeth said soothingly. "I'm glad we got to you in time."

She looked around, suddenly realising that someone was missing.

"Where's Carson?" she asked.

Before anyone could answer, the air was filled with a horrifying scream, that made them all turn towards the door. The scream was followed by an equally horrifying silence.


	21. The Scream

_**Thanks again for the Reviews. This chapter is especially for those of you who enjoy a little bit of whumping. Warning: fingernails might not survive this. Enjoy!**_

OoOoO

Carson was vaguely aware of the noise going on outside the laboratory. But his focus remained completely on Ria, and his attempts to keep her alive.

Every time he got her blood pressure back under control, her heart beat would increase. Her temperature was also veering sharply from dangerously low to dangerously high. Carson had never encountered any medical affliction that caused such a variety of serious conditions that seemed diametrically opposed to each other.

He spent half an hour, although it seemed much longer than that, fire fighting, simply reacting to the symptoms that Ria was presenting. He didn't even have time to try to determine exactly what the gene therapy was doing. He felt as if he was lurching from one crisis to another.

His concentration was so complete, that at first he didn't notice the two guards getting restless. Eventually, in a brief lull between crises, he noticed they were shifting from foot to foot, and exchanging anxious glances.

"Doctor," one of the guards said. "The fighting is getting closer. We need to move out of here immediately."

"Dinnae be daft," Carson responded sharply. "There's no way I can move Ria just now. I'm barely able to keep her alive as it is. If you move her now, you might as well sign her death certificate this minute."

"But, Doctor," the other guard said. "If we don't leave now, we'll all be dead."

"So you're that confident your side is winning?" Carson said ironically.

"It doesn't really matter who's winning out there," the first guard said. "Unless we move from here, we'll be sitting ducks to either side. We can't defend this position."

"Okay, then," Carson said. "Fine, you two can run away and hide. I'm staying here, to do my job. I'm too busy trying to tidy up the mess you lot caused, to run away from a fight that doesn't concern me."

The two guards looked at each other, still undecided about what they should do. If they stayed, they could well be killed in the fight that was getting closer and closer. But, if they left, and Patra returned, then their lives would be forfeit anyway. After a moment's hesitation, and a brief telepathic conversation, they left.

It took quite a while for Carson to notice that the guards had gone. Just as they left, Ria had another crisis, with her heart beat racing to a dangerously high level. All Carson's focus was taken up with trying to get it back under control.

Subconsciously, he was aware that the fighting was getting closer. Every so often, without to realising it, he would jump when a particularly loud volley of shots came near. But that was merely an instinctive reaction. It didn't interrupt him as he worked feverishly to save Ria. An hour had passed without Carson really being aware of the passage of time. His shoulders ached from the tension and the constant battle for Ria's life. He suddenly realised that he was very thirsty, and then his stomach gave a rumble protest at the lack of food.

He glanced round the laboratory, searching out anything he could eat or drink. All for it in the corner, he noticed what looked like a refrigerator. He went over to investigate, and to his delight found something to eat and drink. He was glad that the things in the refrigerator were things he'd already eaten while he was on this planet, otherwise he might be reluctant to try them.

As he got back to the bench on which Ria lay, he looked down at her, ready for the next fight he might have to wage. To his surprise, a pair of green eyes looked up at him.

"Ria, lass," he said gently, stroking her hair away from her eyes. "Are you back with us now then?"

"Carson," she said very softly. He smiled down at her, continuing to stroke her hair. At the same time, his eyes were checking the readouts on the monitors beside her. Amazingly, everything appeared to be normal.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied, her voice still faint. "They gave me the gene therapy. I tried to stop them, but there were too many of them."

"It disnae matter," Carson said gently. "You seem to be passed the worst now. But don't try to use your mental abilities just yet. You're as weak as a newborn kitten. Just rest and don't try to do anything."

Just at that moment, the fighting seemed to get particularly close to the laboratory. Ria jumped, startled by the sound.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I think the real leaders of the people decided they needed to do something about your friends," Carson replied.

"And the guards?" she asked.

"Well," Carson said. "They weren't sure who was winning, and they couldn't make up their mind whether to fight or hide. In the end, they just left."

"But you stayed," she said.

"Aye," Carson admitted. "I couldn't leave you, and to move you could have been fatal."

"So," she said, reflectively. "You saved my life."

"How very touching!" Patra said from the door. Carson began to realise just how much he hated the snide edge to everything that Patra said. It set his teeth on edge.

Without turning, Carson replied. "Not something you'd know anything about, touching someone's life, unless it's to cause pain." As he spoke, Carson continued to stroke Ria's here, trying to bring comfort both to her, but also to himself.

"You'll be glad to hear, Dr Beckett," Patra said. "Some more of your friends have arrived."

"Aye, I am glad to hear that. Does that mean you're losing out there?" Carson replied.

"Losing is such a subjective term," Patra replied. "But let's just say, were not likely to be able to stay here for much longer. But one battle, doesn't necessarily mean the war is won."

"Save your propaganda speeches for others," Carson retorted, turning to face the other man. He was surprised when he did, because there was another, younger, man with him.

"I see you've still got your lackeys," Carson said nodding in the direction of the younger man.

"Simo!" Ria said, relief in her voice. "You're okay! They didn't hurt you?"

It was only then that Carson notice the resemblance between his patient and the younger man.

"So this was her brother," he thought to himself.

"Of course I'm not hurt," her brother said, almost disdainfully. "Why would my friends hurt me?"

Ria shot a look at Carson. His heart sank when he saw the look of pain in her eyes.

"But they told me . . . ." her voice petered out as she realised that her brother had in all probability betrayed her.

"You knew they were using me," she said, an accusation her voice. "How could you let them! They forced me to hurt my friends, to betray them, because I thought they would hurt you. But all the time, you're working with them."

Tears started to roll down her face, a silent testament to her grief. Although Carson had suspected her brother might not be the innocent she thought she was, he still was sad that she had had to face this, especially in her weakened state.

"What are you doing here?" Carson demanded.

"We just wanted to make sure that our little experiment didn't fall into the hands of our enemies." As he spoke, Patra raised a gun that he'd been hiding in the folds of his outfit.

Carson instinctively moved in front of Ria.

"Very heroic!" Patra said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I was thinking of your research."

With that, he raised his gun and fired several shots at the computer Carson had been using, and the bench which held the various samples he'd been using for his experiment.

"But there again," Patra continued. "You might have had the right idea after all, Doctor. While you're experiment lives on in our friend here, or enemies might just get their hands on your work."

As he had been speaking, Simo had moved around, so that he now had a clear shot at his sister. Carson looked at him in horror. The other man's eyes held a look of madness. It was obvious that he was completely under the control of the older man.

"Simo," Ria said, her voice is soft with disbelief. She stared at her brother in horror as he raised his gun and aimed it at her.

"You're not my true sister," he said. "My real family is here, with Patra."

With that, his finger squeezed the trigger. Carson had readied himself for that moment. He hadn't spent all that time and effort saving Ria's life just to see it ended this way. Time seemed to move very slowly, and he could almost see the bullet coming towards her. Moving more quickly than he thought possible, he pushed Ria out of the way.

At first he almost didn't feel the impact of the bullet as it hit his chest. Then the excruciating pain hit him, radiating out until his whole body was in agony. He almost welcomed the relief the darkness brought him, as he slipped away from the light, towards the eternal darkness.

Ria let out an agonising scream. Both Patra and Simo found themselves flying through the air, their weapons mangled in their hands. Ria reached out to Carson, trying to heal him, to bring him back to her. But in her weakened state, it proved too much, and she slumped over his body, as unconsciousness claimed her.


	22. Hope and Pray

_**Thanks again for the Reviews – it makes writing more fun when you get a response. The medical stuff is an unknown factor to me, so if I've used the wrong terminology, I apologise and hope it doesn't spoil the story. Enjoy!**_

OoOoO

In the silence that followed the scream, Elizabeth and John exchanged anxious glances. Ronon was the first to react, but John was not far behind him. As they raced along the corridor towards the direction of the scream, John's mind was frantically trying to prepare himself for what they might find. Something about the scream made him certain that it came from Ria. And if that was the case, Carson was almost inevitably involved too.

Ronon arrived at the room first, and he halted in the doorway, a look of horror on his face. John, who was close behind him, looked past him, and saw why. On one side of the room, were Patra and another man, both unconscious, with mangled guns in their hands.

But it was what he saw on the other side of the room that made his heart sink. Carson was slumped across the bench, completely unconscious. Ria was slumped over him. Beside them was a large pool of blood. John couldn't tell whose it was, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

Ronon and John moved aside to let the others in. Elizabeth gasped in horror, and John put out a steadying hand. She leaned into him gratefully. A number of the Kelta ran past them, to tend to the wounded people. They gently lifted Ria off of Carson, and placed her on the bench nearby. Although she was covered in blood, she didn't appear to be wounded herself. The people from Atlantis watched in horror as they turned Carson over. There was a gaping hole in his chest.

"Oh God," Rodney gasped, his face as white as a sheet. Teyla reached out and put an arm round him in comfort.

The Kelta started working on him immediately, placing their hands over his wound in much the same way as Ria had done a few days previously.

"I can't reach him," one of the people said to Telen who was standing beside John.

"Neither can I," the other person, working Carson, said. "It's as if there is a barrier around him."

"Ria?" Telen asked.

"It's possible," the medics said. "Let me test where the barrier originates."

The woman closed her eyes for a moment, then she opened them with a startled look on her face.

"It is Ria," she confirmed. "She's placed a protective barrier round him."

"Can't you just break it?" Telen asked. "You've done that sort of thing many times before."

"That's just it," the woman replied. "The barrier is so strong, that even the combined power of the two of us can't break it."

"Let me help," Telen said. He closed his eyes and linked his mind with the others. It was his turn to look startled.

"I've never encountered anything as powerful as that before," he admitted.

"So it worked," Rodney said a note of awe in his voice.

"Carson's gene therapy?" John asked.

"It must be," Rodney replied. "Don't you see, it made Ria so powerful that they can't break the barrier she's created, even if she is unconscious."

"It is the most like the explanation," Telen admitted. "But unfortunately, it causes us problems just now. None of our medics will be able to treat him."

"Can they still touch him physically?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, of course," Telen confirmed. "The barrier blocks mental contact with the doctor, not physical. But unfortunately, none of our medics have training in dealing with medical issues, other than using their mental abilities."

"There's a doctor on the Daedalus, isn't there, Colonel?" Elizabeth said, turning to Caldwell.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I'll get him here immediately."

OoOoO

An hour later they were sitting round a conference table, picking at the food that had been set before them.

"When is somebody going to tell us something?" Rodney asked for about the hundredth time. No one answered him. Ronon continued his nervous pacing around the table. Elizabeth kept her eyes fixed on the food in front of her that she hadn't eaten. Both John and Teyla were pushing their food round their plates. Nervous tension radiated from all of them.

When the door to the conference room opened, they all jumped. Two of the medics came into the room, and stopped before Telen.

"What have you to report?" he asked them.

"Patra and Simo are both still unconscious. They received a very strong mental punch, and will likely be unconscious for several days. Once they have regained consciousness, they should recover fairly quickly, but they will have a very sore head for quite a few weeks to come." There was a certain amount of relish in his voice at the thought of this.

"They are in prison?" Telen asked.

"Oh, yes," the other man replied. "And they will remain there, until the trial."

"Ria," the other medics said. "Is simply exhausted. From what we can gather, the gene therapy caused dangerous fluctuations in her heart beat, breathing and blood pressure. Dr Beckett was able to bring these under control, and from what we can gather, the therapy has been very successful. However, using her abilities so soon after receiving the therapy, has caused extreme exhaustion. All she needs is time to recover."

"Very good," Telen said.

"And what about Carson?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm sorry," the first medic replied. "We're not sure how he is. Your doctor was still working on him when we left." With that comment, the two medics left, having done very little to relieve the tension in the room.

"I can't just sit here," Rodney explained. "The only voodoo doctor I trust is Carson. And he can hardly treat himself."

"And just what are you planning to do, Rodney?" John asked. "Supervise Carson's treatment yourself?"

"That may not be such a bad idea," Rodney replied.

"Rodney," Elizabeth said soothingly. "Dr Matthews is a very good doctor. Carson said so himself. We're much better here, out of his way. Let him get on with doing his job. Let him give Carson a chance to live."

Just as she finished speaking, the door opened again, and Dr Matthews came in, looking very serious. John's eyes got to Elizabeth's, and saw the worry he was feeling reflected in them.

"Dr Matthews," she said. "Can you tell us how Carson is?"

"It's not good," the doctor replied. "He had a massive hemothorax. He was showing signs of respiratory distress and profound hemorrhagic shock, and breath sounds were significantly diminished on the right side, where the bullet entered. I have operated and he is stable for present, but he is still critical. We can only hope and pray."

"Thank you, Dr Matthews," Elizabeth said softly, trying to stop the tears from spilling over from her eyes, and rolling down her cheek. John reached out a gentle hand and squeezed her shoulder. She turned to him and gave him a grateful smile.


	23. Eyes Wide Open

The hoping and praying seemed to go on interminably. Carson lingered in that twilight land between living and dying. Dr Matthews was as puzzled as anyone at the lack of change in Carson's condition. The fact that he wasn't getting any worse was, of course, a relief to them all. But, that was balanced by the fact he also wasn't getting any better.

Carson was never alone. One or other of his friends was with him at all times. Rodney would sit and chatter away; carrying on the type of one-sided conversation he was famous for. It was not unusual for him jump up for the side of Carson's bed, and frantically type something on his laptop, before returning to his friend.

Teyla was a much calmer visitor. She would sit by Carson's bed, holding his hand, or stroking his face, and tell him tales of her people. Sometimes she would sing to him, and that seemed to bring him peace. She respected him as a healer, and cared for him as a friend.

Elizabeth was using her time to develop diplomatic links with the Kelta. However, whenever she was not pursuing this, she sat with Carson. She would take his hand, stroking it, and remembering all the times they had shared a similar vigil over one or other of the members of the expedition. She realised how much she valued his patience and compassion during these times. He had looked after her, as much as he had looked after his patient. She could almost hear his gentle voice telling her to go and get some rest. At times, it seemed so real, that she had to look at him just to make sure he hadn't actually spoken. But his face remained the same; with eyes closed, his lashes dark shadows against his pale skin. His face filled with a relaxed tension; a paradox that reflected how she felt when she was with him.

John found it hard to sit with Carson. It was not in his nature to sit and do nothing. He wanted to do something, something that would make Carson well again. The weight of responsibility hung heavy on him. He took it personally when any of his team, and in this instance that included Carson, was injured during the course of a mission. He coped much better when he was the one who was injured. After all, he had plenty practice at it. He found it much harder when it was a friend who had been hurt. And in particular, when it was Carson. Carson was the one who mended them. He was the one who always seemed to have the answer when they injured themselves, or picked up some alien virus or other. To see him as the injured party made things ten times worse.

The constant throughout all the visits was Ronon. He had elected himself as the doctor's protector. He had grown to respect the doctor during his time on Atlantis. After so many years on his own, it had been good to feel the compassion of another. Beckett had saved Ronon's life, and that meant that the Satedan was forever indebted to him. He felt that he could pay back a small part of that debt by standing guard over his unconscious friend, a silent monument to the respect he felt for the doctor.

Even Colonel Caldwell paid regular visits to the doctor's side. He did not know Carson as well as the others, but he had grown to respect him, and admire him.

It is on the second day after Carson had been shot, that they were gathered in the room adjoining the one in which he lay.

"I've never seen anything quite like this," Dr Matthews said. "In cases like this, I would normally have expected the patient to have started to recover, or else to have deteriorated rapidly. Carson has done neither. It's almost as if he isn't some sort of stasis."

"Could this have anything to do with Ria?" Rodney asked.

"I can't answer that one," Dr Matthews replied, looking at Telen, who had joined the conversation.

"It is distinctly possible that the protective barrier Ria has erected is acting as some sort of stasis field," Telen admitted. "However, we're as much in the dark as you are. What Ria has done here, has never been done in quite this way before, so we don't really know what it is she's doing."

"When Ria awakens, what sort of impact is that likely to have on Carson?" Elizabeth asked.

Both Dr Matthews and Telen shook their heads. "To be honest with you," Telen admitted. "You probably have as much idea as I do."

"But you must be able to do something," John said, his voice reflecting his frustration. "It's obviously some sort of telepathic link, if enough of you get together, can't you just break it?"

"It's not as simple as that," the other man replied. "It's possible we could break the link, but it is also very possible that if we do so, both Ria and Dr Beckett would die."

Before any more questions could be asked, a cacophony of noise from the adjoining room caused all of them to rush next door. The monitors beside both Ria and Carson were going wild. The doctors who had been monitoring them stood by helplessly, unsure what to do.

Dr Matthews rushed over to Carson, and found that the doctor's eyes were wide open. But though his eyes were open, they were unfocused, and unseeing. He glanced over at Ria. Her eyes with the same. Telen was at her side, and by the look of intense concentration on his face, it was obvious he was trying to communicate with her. He looked up, admitting defeat.

"I still can't reach her," he said. "It's as if she is blocking me out."

Just as he finished speaking, the monitors went completely silent. Elizabeth's eyes flew Dr Matthews' face, afraid of what this might mean. For several tense moments, the room was completely quiet. And then, almost as if in harmony, the two monitors started to bleep, the regular, reassuring bleep of a normal sinus rhythm.

Dr Matthews quickly busied himself with his patient. Telen was working with Ria. The others almost felt like intruders, or at the very least helpless bystanders. The next few minutes seemed to last for hours, as the two men worked busily on the patients.

It was Telen who stood back first, and as he did so, they could see that Ria was now fully awake. Her eyes focused on each of their faces, almost as if she was committing them to memory. Then a look of fear entered them, and the swung towards the other bed where Carson lay.

Before Telen could stop her, she was on her feet and had taken the few steps necessary to take her to Carson's side. Her hands reached out and gently touched his chest. She looked at the others, and they could see the horror in her eyes as she remembered what had happened. Telen reached her side, and gently took her hands in his.

"Little one," he said gently. "You're not yet strong enough to help your friend. Let me help him."

She looked up at him, and he could see the debate raging in her eyes. Eventually, she nodded, and took a step back from Carson's bed. Telen took her place at the doctor's side, and placed his hands over the wound on Carson's chest. He closed his eyes, almost as if he were praying. Before the amazed eyes of the others, Carson's wounds seemed to disappear. Telen took a step back, and staggered slightly. John put out his hand to steady him.

Dr Matthews immediately stepped forward to check his patient. The others watched, almost afraid to speak, as he finished his examination.

"I have to admit," the doctor said. "If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. Carson's almost as good as new. It's almost as if he's never been shot."

"Then, why the bloody hell do I feel like a herd of rampaging elephants just ran across my chest?" said a quiet voice that could only belong to one person.

The laughter that echoed through the room was filled both with joy and relief. Carson's bed was soon surrounded by his friends, all laughing and talking at once. Ria faded into the background, almost as if she wanted to disappear.

The scenes of joyful chaos continued for several minutes until Dr Matthews stepped in.

"Okay, everyone," he said in a firm voice. "Carson's still got a lot of recovering to do. And I think we should give him a little bit of peace and quiet to do so."

"But he's been sleeping for the last two days," Rodney argued.

"But listening to you babble away, would exhaust anyone," John said.

"If you two are going to argue," Elizabeth interrupted. "Then it is definitely time to leave."

Before she could shepherd her team out of the room, Carson suddenly looked round with a frown.

"Where's Ria?" he asked.

Everyone looked round, and for the first time they realised that she was no longer with them. Telen reached out with his mind to try to find her.

"I can't reach her," he said. "When I try to touch her mind, it's as if there is a shadow there, and I can't connect to it. But she still is weak, and needs further medical attention. Without it, she might not survive."

Carson's face took on a stricken look.

"Where are you, lass?" he said softly. "Please come home to me."


	24. Wise Words

_**I'd like to thank all my regular reviewers – I started to name you, but realised that there were quite a lot of you. Thanks to you all for the encouragement you've given me. I hope you like this ending. And thanks for reading.**_

OoOoO

He had been back on Atlantis for almost a week now and he felt restless and unsettled. It didn't help that his own medical staff had banned him from working for at least another week. He was used to not having enough hours in the day. Now there seemed to be too many.

His friends tried to help, but they were all so busy. Rodney would visit him to eat a quick meal. But he would virtually inhale his food while telling him in great detail about an experiment Carson couldn't understand and then disappear back into the depths of his lab.

Elizabeth would come to him to discuss the events on Atlantis with him. But, it was noticeable that she steered clear of any difficult or contentious issues. He enjoyed her visits but when he asked her about an off-world mission or some problem or other, she would be vague and evasive in her answer. She meant well, but it was frustrating.

Ronon still took his protection duties seriously, and when he wasn't off-world, he'd be near by, a silent monument of defence. But he wasn't the most talkative of companions.

John would breeze through on a visit, but his inability to sit still for five minutes meant that he never stayed for long.

Teyla would take him on visits to some of her people's villages. But he felt the differences from other visits. He wasn't allowed to fly the Puddle Jumper and if the talk turned to things medical, Teyla would step in and change the subject with great haste.

He knew he was better off than he deserved to be. Telen's intervention had meant that his recuperation was two weeks, rather than months. But he still felt restless. His thoughts, as so often nowadays, turned to Ria. Nothing had been seen or heard of her since she had vanished. Carson worried about her, and how she was coping, if she was coping.

His wanderings took him to one of the more obscure balconies on Atlantis. He liked it here. It was peaceful and the view of the ocean was calming. He looked out over the expanse of water, and took a deep breath, drawing in the healing sea air, and the serenity of the lapping water.

He sensed her presence before he saw her. Without turning round, he smiled.

"Hallo, Ria," he said softly.

He could almost hear her smile. "Hi, Carson," she replied equally as softly.

"How are you, lass?" His voice held a gentle concern, and a comforting friendship.

"Oh, Carson," she almost sobbed. "I just don't know how I am. I have this power, and it scares me."

He turned to look at her. She looked like a frightened child. He held out his arms and she stepped into his warm hug with gratitude.

"Ye'll be okay, love," he said against her hair.

"But what if I get angry?" she said, her voice shaky. "What if I lash out at someone and kill them with a thought? How can I live with that?"

He put gentle hands on her shoulders and pushed her back slightly so he could see her face.

"You have a dangerous weapon there, lass," he said. "It's just like Ronon's gun or one of those big stunner guns you've seen round the city. It is powerful, but if it's controlled, it doesn't need to be deadly."

"But can I control it?" she asked, wistfully.

"Only you can answer that one, love," he replied. "You've had a lonely life, I think. And you find it hard to trust people. I think you find it hard to trust yourself. That's where you need to start. To learn to trust yourself, to love yourself. Then you can trust and love others."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, a rueful smile on her face. "I tricked you, and almost got you killed."

"Aye, lass, that you did," he replied with a gentle smile. "And I understand why you did it."

"Some reason," she said, hurt in her voice. "My brother didn't exactly need saving, did he?"

"No, I suppose he didn't," Carson said. "But you were willing to try. And because of that, I can overlook what you did to us."

"But it still doesn't make it right, does it?" Ria persisted.

"No, it doesn't," Carson agreed. "But remember, lass, you're human. One of the things that make us human is that we make mistakes, we make wrong choices, choose wrong paths. Another thing that makes us human is that we learn from that."

"I've still got a lot to learn," Ria said, ruefully.

"And another thing that makes us human is that we forgive," Carson continued. "But perhaps the most difficult thing of all is to forgive ourselves."

Ria nodded. "When did you get to be so wise?" she asked Carson, with a grin, more like the grin she had when he had first met her.

"It comes with the grey hairs," he said, with a hint of irony.

"I can sort that," she said, grinning. Carson felt a slight tingling in his scalp. "No more grey hairs," Ria said, almost laughing at the look on his face.

"Why, love, that is a rare gift you have," he replied, joining in her laugh.

Her face grew serious again. "I have to leave again, Carson. I have to go far away from people, so I can't hurt anyone."

"I'll miss you, love," he replied. "And I don't think you should shut yourself off completely. You need time to adjust, to learn to trust yourself, but you also need people."

"How can I learn to trust myself?" she asked. "I don't know what I'll do next."

"Take my hand," Carson said, holding out his hand to her. She took it, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you trust me?" he asked. She nodded. "Then come with me."

He led her to the edge of the balcony. Beyond it, the ocean lapped to within about a foot of the bottom of the balcony. Carson jumped onto the edge of the balcony, and motioned for Ria to do the same. She hesitated, then joined him.

"We're going to jump off the balcony now," he said, his eyes holding hers as he spoke. His gaze was so intense that she couldn't look away. Still holding eye contact, she nodded. "One," Carson said, "Two, three." On three they both jumped.

Ria found herself in a foot of water, but her feet on solid ground. She burst out laughing. Carson was grinning at her.

"I found that out by mistake one day, when I thought I fancied a swim. I put my feet over the edge, only to find there wasn't much depth here. But you trusted me to keep you safe, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yes," Ria said, thoughtfully. "I knew you wouldn't let any harm come to me, no matter how dangerous it may have seemed."

"Then learn to trust yourself like that. Learn to rely on your instincts. And to be certain that you won't hurt anyone."

"How can I do that?" she asked.

"Only you can work that one out," Carson replied. "But I'll help you in any way I can."

"I need to go now," she said. "I can't stay, not until I'm sure what I can do, and I can trust myself the way I trust you."

"I know, lass," he replied. "But you know where to find me if you need me."

"Thank you, my friend," she said, leaning over and giving him a gentle kiss.

Then she vanished.

Carson sighed. He felt her absence already.

"Don't miss me, Carson," her voice echoed in his thoughts. "I'm only ever a thought away."


End file.
